The Elder Scrolls: Son of Chaos (Revised)
by Shadow-Walker26
Summary: Fifty years have passed since Asgard burned and due to the destruction unleashed during Ragnarok, Atreus has been cast into the foreign land of Tamriel; after adjusting to this new land and keeping his Godly nature hidden from its inhabitants, he made his home in Skyrim. Soon, he will find his fate bound to the doom-driven Dragonborn and the enigmatic Daughter of Coldharbour...
1. Chapter 1: Meeting of Dragons and Giants

Atreus sat in one of the much more secluded corners within the 'Bee and Barb' as he quietly nursed a bottle of Black-Briar Mead and just watched the Riften locals carry on with their seemingly mediocre lives.

Other than calling on one of the reptilian bartenders who ran the tavern and tended to its patrons whenever he wanted a drink, he made no effort to interact with anyone and honestly, he preferred it this way; the only reason he was even here was to try and drink away bad memories and listen to the latest rumors in the hopes of learning of another monster to slay or another tomb to explore so that he could keep himself occupied and earn some coin while he was at it.

Despite the fact it had been roughly fifty years since Ragnarok came to pass, the horrific and gruesome memories of the conflict were still fresh in Atreus' mind almost like it hadn't even been a day since it all happened; he still remembered the day the world tree splintered when Thor and Jormungand faced each other, resulting in the latter being cast back in time.

He still remembered the terror in Thor's eyes when he carved the arrogant bastard's heart from his chest in retaliation, but the one memory that caused him the most pain and torment was the moment his father, Kratos, sacrificed himself to protect him from Odin's wrath; the only thing he found truly satisfying about that day was the moment he shattered Mjolnir against the All-Father's skull and finally avenged his father before being cast into this foreign land.

Atreus kept his hollow, icy blue gaze forward as the memories continuously played in his head, almost like they were taunting him for not being fast or strong enough to prevent his father's demise before he heard a scream coming from his left, drawing his eyes to the source where he saw a young woman struggling with a hooded man who eventually snatched a necklace from around her neck then made a run for it.

"Hey, give that back! Please! It was my mother's!" The woman cried before falling to her knees while the thief tried to make his escape through the back door only for an ornate war axe to plant itself in the wood barely an inch from his head.

The thief found himself paralyzed by shock before the tavern grew quiet and all eyes went to Atreus as he rose from his seat then casually stroll towards the thief, his cold eyes locking with the frightened criminal's gaze while everyone else's followed the towering young man across the establishment until he stopped right in front of the assailant.

"Give it back." Atreus demanded coldly, his tone noticeably irritated by the disturbance as his eyes locked on the wretch and froze his blood in his veins. "What if I don't?!" The thief snapped, clearly trying to make himself sound even more intimidating in the face of this stranger who despite his agile build, looked like he could snap his bones like they were twigs, although Atreus clearly wasn't amused.

"Either you give it back or I'll rip your damn head off...I won't ask again." He answered, his tone growing noticeably colder with every word and making the thief shake in absolute terror until he finally gave in and passed the necklace to him.

"Thank you...now get lost." Atreus snapped coldly as he grasped the necklace, pulled Leviathan out of the wooden door and watched the horrified thief flee the tavern without a single word. Once everything calmed down, Atreus replaced his axe on his back before walking over to the golden haired young woman and returning her necklace without a single word, earning a grateful smile from her in the process.

"Thank you! I...I don't know what I would have done if I lost this!" She said happily, tears still streaming from her eyes as Atreus gave her a rather dull nod. "You're welcome..." He answered dully as the young woman fastened the necklace back around her neck.

"I hope the Gods bless..." The woman started again before Atreus raised his hand to stop her, a noticeably frustrated look in his icy eyes at the mere mention of 'Gods' as he shook his head lightly.

"Don't...whatever blessings your Gods have to offer are worthless to me..." He states dully, making the woman's smile fade before she gave him a light, reluctant nod as he passed her by, finished his drink and approached the bar before passing a coin purse to Keerava, one of the Argonians who ran the tavern and served the numerous patrons within.

"This should cover the damages and my drinks...sorry for the commotion." He said before making his way out of the tavern without another word while everyone within returned to their business, many of them still noticeably shaken by what they had just witnessed, although no one spoke of it as they felt it was something better left alone; in fact, no one made any effort to speak at all after they watched Atreus leave.

After leaving the 'Bee and Barb', Atreus made his way to the docks outside of the city walls and looked out at the lake so that he could watch the sun set, a sight that was quite possibly the only thing that made him feel any form of peace anymore; he sat down on the edge of the dock that was furthest away from the gates and twirled the knife his father gave him when he was still a boy through his fingers as he stared across the water.

As the sun started to sink behind the mountains, Atreus just watched the serene sight with tears threatening to fall from his eyes despite his best efforts to keep them away. He missed his father, the adventures they shared and the days when they trained together as father and son, but he knew that tears wouldn't bring him back; nothing would.

He also knew that his father would want him to stay strong and keep going, easier said than done, but Kratos had taught him well, even in the end; so, Atreus wiped his tears, put the knife away and turned his attention back to the sunset to distract himself from the pain if only for a little while.

* * *

When the night fell over Skyrim, Atreus made his way back into Riften's walls and just walked through the city for a little while just in case there just so happened to be someone waiting for an opportunity to try and ambush a wayward citizen who found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Atreus may have been more or less indifferent to the people of Skyrim, but he still had his mother's heart and wanted to at least try and help others whenever he could, so dealing with any cowards or monsters that preyed on others seemed like the best way to do it.

During his night time stroll, Atreus noticed an Orc dressed in a suit of armor that suggested that he was a knight who quite possibly belonged to some religious order enter the city gates and glance around at the locals almost like he was analyzing them for some unknown reason. When the Orc's eyes landed on Atreus, a noticeable intrigue shimmered in his gaze as he approached, which made Atreus slow his steps a little bit.

"You there!" The Orc called out quickly before stopping in front of Atreus and causing the young man to look down to him when he stepped in his path. "What do you want?" Atreus asked in a dull, but curious tone as the Orc met his gaze before speaking again.

"My name is Durak, I represent the Dawnguard...we're looking for people to help fight against the growing vampire menace; would you care to join?" Durak explained, making Atreus raise his eyebrow lightly as he thought on the offer for a moment.

Atreus had dealt with vampires a few times during his travels in this land and really didn't have any trouble slaughtering them on the condition that they were actually causing trouble, although he wasn't entirely interested in working with a group who's Gods didn't even care enough about their subjects to aid them when they were in dire need. After a moment, Atreus let out a subtle sigh before looking to Durak again. "Yeah, sure...I wouldn't mind spilling some vampiric blood." He said simply, earning a light grin from the Orc.

"Ha! I think Isran's going to like you...head to Fort Dawnguard, South-East of here and report to him; he'll decide if you have what it takes." Durak said simply, earning a brief nod from Atreus as he pulled out his map and scanned it for a moment. "Fort Dawnguard, South-East of the city...can you mark it on my map? I'm not familiar with the location." He requested before Durak gave him a light nod and looked at the young man's map.

"Right here, on the other side of the canyon." Durak answered as he pointed to the mountain range that hugged Skyrim's Southern borders then marked the location on his map just in case he got turned around, making Atreus give him a content nod before folding the map up and placing it in his pocket.

"Thanks...I'll meet you there as soon as I take care of a few things here." Atreus said simply, although this was partially a lie as while he wanted to finish his walk and retrieve his father's blades from their hiding place, he really didn't feel like traveling with someone else at the moment.

"Very well...do what you need to do and I'll see you there; safe travels." Durak said contently before turning to leave the city and make his way back to Fort Dawnguard while Atreus turned and went back to his rounds, thinking on what kind of threat these vampires actually were that it would inspire whoever these 'Dawnguard' were to actively seek new recruits in order to combat them effectively.

A few hours after he finished his rounds, Atreus approached the Shrine of Talos that was set up behind the city's Temple to the Goddess, Mara and reached behind the makeshift altar then removed what one would assume to be a package wrapped in worn red cloth before placing it on the ground and kneeling.

Atreus took a brief moment before unwrapping the cloth to reveal the Blades of Chaos then running his fingers along the edges, which were still as sharp as they were during the days of Ragnarok; he closed his eyes, took a breath then removed the Guardian Shield and his bracers before wrapping the chains around his arms then replacing the remaining pieces of his armor.

Once this was done, Atreus wrapped his fingers around the hilts of his father's blades, which seemed to come alive as hellfire crept up the blades with his touch; he watched the flames dance along the blades for a moment before rising to his feet as the fires settled as he placed the weapons on his back and collected the cloth that held them.

After collecting his father's blades and what supplies he had for the journey, Atreus made his way to the gates leading out into the wilds surrounding the city and strolled out without a single word or even the slightest sign of hesitation.

Regardless of his apparent indifference to Skryrim's people, Atreus wasn't the type to back down from an opportunity to fight and perhaps this supposed 'vampire menace' would actually provide him with a decent challenge.

* * *

Atreus continued down the path leading to Fort Dawnguard, part of him feeling a bit disappointed that the journey had proven rather uneventful so far, but he knew that Skyrim was a dangerous place where trouble could literally appear out of nowhere, so he figured that something or someone just might prove bold enough to try their luck against him before he reached his destination.

"You there! Uh, traveler! Over here!" A voice called out as he made his way across the old stone bridge that arched over a rather shallow river, his eyes narrowing a bit when he heard the stranger's tone and the rather unconvincing way he spoke; even a blind, deaf man could tell that this was a trap.

"Oh please...you're not fooling anyone." Atreus muttered to himself as he reached the other side of the bridge and headed towards a group of what at first looked like priests who seemed like they had just escaped a struggle, although when he studied them closer, he noticed the hungry amber glow in their eyes. "Alright, let's get this over with..." He said to himself as he approached the vampires, pulling the Blades of Chaos from his back the entire time.

"That's close enough f...AGH!" The lead vampire began before a fiery blade plunged itself deep into his chest and made him start choking on his own blood, which made his companions follow the savage weapon's chain to Atreus as he used the blade to pull the vampire to him then catch him by the throat while he caught the blade in his right hand. He brought the vampire to his knees, pushed the blade deeper into his flesh then pulled it up through his body and split him in two before watching the now mangled corpse drop at his feet while the three remaining vampires watched in horror as their amber eyes met his icy blue ones.

"Come and get me..." Atreus taunted coldly as the flames surrounding the Blades of Chaos intensified, the inferno reflecting in his eyes and giving them an almost unearthly shimmer before the remaining vampires charged towards him, with two strafing to the left in an attempt to flank him while the third charged headfirst to his doom.

Each of them casting ice spikes at him only for them to shatter against his shield before he eviscerates the first vampire with his blades, with the sheer force of the impact making pieces of the creature's corpse fly across the woods in a brutal display of blood and fire. The sight of their comrade being utterly annihilated in such a manner made the remaining vampires hesitate for a moment before one of them tried to drain Atreus's life force from his body with a crimson beam only for him to swing one of his blades around his head and decapitate the vampire as he turned his attention to the last, who was now charging towards him in a rage.

Atreus locked his eyes on the vampire as he caught his blade and waited until it was close enough before pulling his left arm back, causing the Guardian shield to form around his arm before planting the rim of it into his opponent's skull, nearly shattering its bones on impact and disorienting it long enough for him to plant his foot in its head and finish splattering the creature's brains all over the road.

As Atreus collected himself and prepared to continue on his way, he noticed more vampires coming from the East, presumably allies of the four he had just finished butchering that were on standby just in case the rather pathetic ambush they had set up failed; it didn't matter to him, though, they would fall just as easily as their friend even though they outnumbered him. He counted eight this time and they grew closer and closer, which made Atreus pop his neck in preparation for the slaughter as his fingers tightened around his blades; it wasn't long until he decided that they were within range of his weapons and he prepared to take them down until...

"YOL TOOR SHUL!" A voice thundered from his left as a wave of fire engulfed the creatures, causing many of them to scream in pain as the flames consumed them as the ones who survived the inferno followed Atreus' gaze to the source, which he learned was a warrior clad in leather armor that was adorned with bronzed scales, bracers and boots that looked as though they were made of ice and an iron helmet with horns curving down from either side on his head; the man held a Banded Iron Shield in his left hand and a sword that looked like it was made from some kind of bone in his right while a blackened, dual bladed battle axe rested on his back.

The remaining vampires looked between the two combatants before reanimating the corpses of their fallen brethren and splitting up in an attempt to divide them in the hopes of making the final kill much easier; three went after their new opponent with their undead thralls in tow while the rest went after Atreus. The mysterious warrior bashed one vampire's head in with his shield before plunging his sword into its chest then deflected another blow at the last moment as the two engaged in a single duel while the third circled around so that he could try to ambush the man while his back was turned.

Atreus remained focused on the other three along with the revenants they had raised as they charged only for him to swing his blades around behind him, causing the flames around them to intensify before they clashed together with a distinct ring as the creatures found themselves consumed by a deadly firestorm, killing one vampire and its thrall, mortally wounding the second while its thrall burned and weakening the third. Once the flames died down, Atreus charged at the survivors before lunging and eviscerating them all in a fiery cyclone then landing as his blades returned to him.

He replaced the weapons on his back once they cooled down and turned his attention to his unknown comrade as the man cut down the fifth vampire he had found himself dueling while the last crept up behind him, raising his blade as he prepared to drive it through the warrior's back; Atreus pulled his bow, Talon from his back, nocked an arrow, took aim and prepared to fire.

"Þruma!" He cried as he released the arrow, imbuing it with electricity as it glides through the air, hitting its mark and paralyzing the vampire long enough for the strange warrior to turn and decapitate the creature then watch his body fall to the ground, even watching it twitch for a moment as any lingering lightning magic coursed through the now lifeless corpse.

* * *

Once the smoke cleared, the strange warrior sheathed his sword and made his way to Atreus, who had already turned to continue down the path leading to Fort Dawnguard with a steady trot, which gave the man plenty of time to catch up to him.

"You handle yourself well, friend, I'm glad you were there to watch my back." The man said simply, his accent bearing the same Nordic drawl common among many of Skyrim's natives save for a noticeably outlandish dialect similar to whatever tongue he used to conjure the firestorm.

"Yeah, sure..." Atreus said dully, not even bothering to turn to face the man when he spoke as he continued on his way, causing the stranger to raise his eyebrow curiously as he studied the young man in front of him like he was trying to figure him out; he certainly didn't seem like anyone he had ever met in Skyrim or anywhere else in Tamriel for that matter, although one thing he could make out from his demeanor was that he seemed to carry some demons that he was keeping under tight lock and key.

"Do you have a name...?" The man asked curiously, making Atreus roll his eyes a bit before finally looking to him with a noticeably cold look in his icy eyes; he was hoping that the man would realize that he didn't care anything about making friends, but upon further observation, he noticed that this stranger seemed like the persistent type.

"Atreus." He answered, his tone still dull and even a bit irritable, although the man didn't seem phased by this and simply gave a nod before speaking again. "Pleased to meet you, Atreus...Name's Ysmir." He introduced himself simply, earning a brief nod from Atreus before he turned away again and kept walking, peeking the man's curiosity further when he noticed the path he was taking.

"Where are you headed...?" Ysmir asked curiously, making Atreus ball his fist up, close his eyes and take a breath to keep his temper from getting the best of him as he had no interest in starting a fight with a man he just saved. "Fort Dawnguard...you know it?" He said simply, making the man nod in confirmation when he heard the name. "Aye, I know it...actually headed there myself; perhaps we can travel together...?" He suggested, making Atreus shake his head lightly at the thought.

"I travel alone..." Atreus answered dully, which earned a casual shrug from Ysmir. "Don't think of it so much as 'traveling together'...think of it more as 'we just so happen to be going to the same place', if you prefer." Ysmir suggested simply, hoping that this would be enough to convince the young man to agree to the idea considering this was literally the position they found themselves in; Atreus narrowed his eyes before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Fine...but, don't expect me to act like we're friends; I don't care anything about having friends." Atreus states, his tone almost cold when he did, which made Ysmir study him for a moment before giving a light nod in understanding.

"Fair enough." He said simply, earning a content nod from Atreus. "Good..." He said simply before he continued on his way, not sparing Ysmir so much as another glance as the two of them made their way to Fort Dawnguard without so much as another word...

* * *

**Okay, so brief note for any and all returning readers: Welcome back to the story and if you've re-read this chapter, I'm sure you've already noticed that any changes made here are strictly aesthetic so that it's a little easier on the eyes.**

**This will not be the case with the others even though they have also received the same treatment, but there maybe be scenes that have been moved back and effectively fleshed out more in the remaining chapters so that the story (Hopefully) has a smoother flow and to compensate for anything that was moved or changed. Anyway, hope the revisions have done their job and that it's still as enjoyable as the first time. (If not more.)**

**Now, newcomers: Welcome to the story! As I have mentioned in the note addressing everybody who's read this already, I started this story recently and got to a certain point before I noticed that it needed more of a polish, that there were scenes I needed to flesh out more and details that I meant to add the first time, but didn't until now.**

**Also, a couple of side notes for you newcomers, I know the beginning of 'Dawnguard' probably seems like an odd place to kick this off, but I do plan on covering the 'Dragon Crisis' and 'Miraak's Uprising' as well; this just seemed like the best place to start so that the story can kind of bleed into those questlines later on. I also plan on having Atreus go into more detail concerning the events of Ragnarok in later chapters, too, so there's that.**

**Okay, I think that's all I wanted and needed to say; hope y'all enjoy it...**

**P.S.: For anybody who just so happened to be wondering, yes Atreus will be using the 'endgame' (Level 5) Blades of Chaos, Leviathan Axe and Talon Bow; as far as armor, I'm thinking he'll be wearing something with a similar aesthetic to what he wore as a kid in the game, but I haven't quite figure out how to describe it here, yet; ****I did take the liberty of posting a link to a pic that shows the overall aesthetic I'm going for, though; Blades of Chaos, Leviathan and Guardian Shield not included in pic. *I borrowed the pic from 'Google Images', so it's not my handiwork; all credit for it goes to the original artist.***


	2. Chapter 2: Receiving Orders

"So, Atreus...tell me a little bit about yourself." Ysmir said as they approached Dayspring Canyon, making Atreus roll his eyes lightly and shake his head. "What part of 'I'm not interested in making friends' didn't you understand...?" He asked in a dull, irritated tone as the man studied him curiously, a bit caught off guard by his response.

"I meant no disrespect...just wanted to get to know you a little bit since it looks like we maybe working together." Ysmir suggests calmly only to earn a rather cold glare from Atreus, who looked like he was steadily growing impatient with the man's attempts to learn anything about him.

"Look, all you need to know about me is that I'm not someone you want to be associated with for any reason...friend, foe or otherwise; I'm not here looking for a fleeting sense of 'brotherhood' or to satisfy some 'noble desire' to save the world or anything like that...I'm just here because whatever these vampires are up to gives me another excuse to spill rivers of blood without consequence." Atreus states coldly, making Ysmir study him quietly for a moment before giving him a light nod in understanding.

"Very well...although, if you'll forgive my bold observation, something tells me that you're better than that. Regardless of your reasons for seeking out the Dawnguard, you consciously made the decision to join their ranks and fight against the vampires; surely that means there's a part of you that wants to protect others, doesn't it...?" Ysmir explains with a light shrug, making Atreus grow silent and shake his head, although deep down he knew the man was right to some extent, but he didn't care to acknowledge it.

When they reached the cavern leading into Dayspring Canyon, Atreus stopped and turned his attention to Ysmir again as he took a brief breath. "Well, this is the place...the fort's supposed to be in this canyon; if you need to take care of anything before we go in, let me know now, because I'm not going to sit here and wait while you screw around." He said in a dull tone, earning a light chuckle from Ysmir despite noting the obvious distaste in his tone as he strolled passed Atreus and approached the entrance.

"Don't worry, I took care of my business before making the journey here...let's go." Ysmir assured him before strolling into the cavern with Atreus following behind him until they emerged out of the crevice and into the surprisingly serene and peaceful canyon hidden on the other side.

Ysmir studied the canyon for a moment and found himself quite impressed with the Danwguard's choice in hiding place before looking back to Atreus, raising his eyebrow curiously when he noticed that the seemingly bitter young man's demeanor had softened significantly as his ice blue eyes scanned the area with a noticeable contentment.

Before he even realized what had happened, Atreus found himself a bit mesmerized by the beauty and serenity that this secluded canyon held and almost lost himself in the sight completely; he always had a soft spot when it came to nature, something he had developed as a child and was always encouraged by his mother, so he felt like he could spare a moment and drop his guard long enough to just savor the sight.

"Atreus...?" Ysmir called out in a curious tone, snapping him out of his apparent trance and making him shake his head lightly before retaking his reserve and marching forward like nothing even happened. "We should keep moving..." He said simply, the sudden change in demeanor heightening Ysmir's curiosity significantly before he just shook it off for the time being and followed him down the path.

As they made their way around the path, they noticed a young man who clearly had the appearance and demeanor of a farm boy with a simple axe strapped to his side pacing along the path like he was trying to work up the nerve to approach the fort, which made Atreus roll his eyes lightly. "Are you kidding me...? This runt won't last ten minutes against a vampire..." He said dully, making Ysmir's gaze shoot to him for a moment.

"Who knows, maybe there's more to him than meets the eye..." He suggested with a shrug, earning an unamused chuckle from Atreus as he shook his head, although part of him couldn't help being a bit amused by the rather ironic observation considering he had been in a similar position himself before learning that he was the child of a Giant and a God.

"I doubt it...he hasn't even made it to the fort and he's already shaking in his boots." He retorts, which made Ysmir look between him and the farm boy for a moment before shrugging again.

"Good point...maybe he'll end up proving himself in time, though." Ysmir said simply, although Atreus didn't comment further as he knew it really wasn't his place to say whether or not the rather skittish man really had what it took to be a warrior. As the two clearly seasoned warriors approached, the farm boy jumped in surprise before collecting himself again and giving them a light nod in greeting.

"Oh, hey there! You're here to join the Dawnguard, too?" He asked in a noticeably excited, but nervous tone before Ysmir gave a light nod in confirmation while Atreus just kept walking. "Aye, lad...we're here to join the Dawnguard." Ysmir said simply, making the rather skittish young man relax a little bit.

"Oh good...truth is, I'm a little nervous..." He started before Atreus let out a dull chuckle in response. "That's an understatement..." He said in a dull, yet sarcastic tone, making Ysmir look to him for a moment, but the farm boy just shook it off.

"Do...you mind if I walk up with you...?" The farm boy asked, earning a light shrug from Ysmir while Atreus just rolled his eyes irritably. "I don't mind, but my friend might...he's not overly fond of people." Ysmir answered, making the man look to Atreus for a moment.

"Oh, don't worry...I won't bother him, if that helps." He assured them quickly, making Ysmir look between him and Atreus before giving a light nod then strolling forward with the farm boy in tow, which made Atreus narrow his eyes lightly as he strolled ahead of them. "Oh great, another tagalong..." He muttered to himself without missing a step or slowing down.

* * *

The trio continued along the path, with Atreus staying far enough ahead of Ysmir and the farm boy where he wouldn't have to listen to the skittish man's attempts at conversation while Ysmir just allowed him to vent and ease his nerves as much as he could; it didn't take long for them to reach the fort itself and while the farm boy was clearly amazed by the structure, Atreus didn't seem impressed.

"Wow...it's bigger than I expected." The farm boy states in sheer amazement, earning a light nod in agreement from Ysmir while Atreus just shook his head lightly and kept walking. "Aye, it's quite a sight." He said simply before looking to Atreus, who looked like he was just doing everything in his power to ignore the conversation. "Not impressed, I take it...?" The man asked curiously, making him shrug lightly.

"I've seen better..." Atreus answered dully, making the two men study him curiously as they started catching up to him, although he didn't make any effort to slow down for them and just scanned the area with a noticeable indifference. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say the place is abandoned..." He said simply, which made his traveling companions look around and realize that the fort did indeed look completely deserted and even completely run down.

"Maybe they've recently started renovating and felt like they were far enough along to begin actively recruiting new members...?" Ysmir suggested simply, earning a light shrug from Atreus as the farm boy just listened to them for a moment.

"Either that or desperation drove them to start recruiting before they could actually finish everything." He said simply, making Ysmir think on the observation for a moment before giving a light nod in agreement. "Aye, that makes sense..." He said simply as they made their way up the hill and started approaching the entrance to the fort itself before noticing a man with red hair, a rather thick beard and a fair complexion guarding it.

Upon noticing the trio, the man studied each of them curiously upon their approach, although his eyes lingered on Atreus for a moment when he noticed that the somewhat rugged young man seemed to sport a sense of experience that would far exceed someone his age; however this observation was mostly due to the man being completely oblivious to the fact Atreus was significantly older than he looked.

"Ah, new recruits! Isran will want to speak with you, go on inside." The man said with a tone that held the authority of a seasoned military officer, which actually seemed to impress Atreus a little bit and made him give the man a content nod as he, Ysmir and the farm boy passed him by and entered the fort.

"I'll let you two go first, if that's okay." The farm boy said as they strolled into the fort, making Ysmir give him a light nod in understanding. "You might want to do something about your nerves while you're at it...vampires won't wait on you to collect yourself when you're in the field." Atreus said in a simple tone, making the young man gulp nervously before giving a brief nod.

"That's fair...thanks for the advice." He said, although Atreus didn't respond as he and Ysmir approached two men standing in the middle of the main hall. "Why are you here, Tolan? The Vigilants and I were finished with each other a long time ago." The gruff, dark skinned man, who Atreus and Ysmir assumed was Isran asked the other, who was significantly paler, was dressed in robes and wore steel plate gauntlets and boots.

"You know why I'm here! The Vigilants are under attack everywhere...the vampires are much more dangerous than we believed." Tolan retorts in an urgent, almost desperate tone as Atreus rolled his eyes when he heard his explanation.

"Oh really? What was your first clue...?" Atreus said sarcastically, making the two men look to him for a moment before shaking the comment off for the time being and going back to their conversation while Ysmir stifled a light chuckle.

"And now that you've stirred the vampires against you, you come running to safety with the Dawnguard, is that it? I remember Keeper Carcette telling me repeatedly that Fort Dawnguard is a crumbling ruin that wasn't worth the expense and manpower to repair." Isran said in a stern and somewhat bitter tone, making Atreus shrug lightly while Tolan just shook his head.

"Carcette is dead, Isran. The Hall of the Vigilants...everyone...they're all dead. You were right, we were wrong...isn't that enough for you?" Tolan said in a remorseful tone as Isran's eyes wavered for a brief moment, although he didn't drop his reserve. "Yes, well...I never wanted any of this to happen. I tried to warn all of you...I am sorry, you know." Isran said, his tone while still gruff and stoic seemed to sport a genuine sympathy for the man's loss.

Once he was finished, he and Tolan turned their attention to Atreus and Ysmir as Isran himself took a breath before addressing them. "So, who are you...what do you want?" Isran asked in a simple, but seemingly impatient tone.

"Oh, nothing...we were just out for a little night time walk, stumbled into your Canyon hideout and thought we'd have a look around; why the hell do you think we're here? We heard you're looking for vampire hunters..." Atreus answered in a dull, but still incredibly sarcastic tone before earning a glare from Isran, although despite his apparent irritation with the younger man's sarcasm, he did seem to admire his wit to some extent.

"You heard right...I'm glad word's finally getting around, but that only means it won't be long before the vampires start to notice as well; although, if your blade is anywhere near as sharp as your tongue, I'd hate to be one of them..." Isran said simply as a subtle smirk tugged at Atreus' lips while Ysmir looked between them. "Trust me, sir...he can handle vampires, we both can; just tell us how we can help and we'll get right on it." Ysmir assured simply, making Isran give them a content nod.

"I need someone out in the field taking the fight to the damn vampires while we're getting the fort back into shape...Tolan was telling me about some cave the Vigilants were poking around in; seemed to think it was related to the recent attacks." Isran explained before turning his attention back to Tolan.

* * *

"Tell them about, what was it...'Dimhollow'?" Isran said quickly, making Tolan nod in confirmation before looking to Atreus and Ysmir. "Yes, that's it. Dimhollow Crypt...Brother Adalvald was sure it held some long lost vampire artifact of some kind...we didn't believe him anymore than we did Isran. He was at the hall when it was attacked..." Tolan explained, his tone dropping a bit at the end as Atreus shook his head lightly.

"So, one of your friends finds something connected to vampires in a place called 'Dimhollow Crypt', you believe he's crazy despite not seeing it for yourself and your entire order gets slaughtered because of that; and on top of that, the very man who found this 'artifact' is missing in action..." Atreus suggested in a simple, dull and somewhat disappointed tone before letting out a light, irritated sigh.

"Did you even once consider that this 'artifact' could be some ancient vampire who could potentially provide them with some advantage that would make it easier to actively conquer Skyrim...? I mean, 'Dimhollow Crypt' isn't exactly the most subtle name for some long lost cave that's hiding a relic that vampires are obviously attracted to..." He finished in a blunt tone, making Tolan, Isran and Ysmir look to him curiously then look between each other for a moment.

"All the more reason to check it out and see what's in there, I think...I trust the two of you can handle that...?" Isran suggested simply, making Ysmir give him a light nod in confirmation.

"Aye, we'll look into it...Vigilant Tolan, care to mark the crypt on my map?" Ysmir said, making Tolan give a light nod as he pulled out a map while Atreus just waited patiently for the priest to provide them with directions to the cave; he was pretty irritated by the fact he was still going to have to travel with someone else, but he knew he'd have to deal with it at least for the time being.

"Your best way of getting there is going to what's left of our hall and following the path leading along the side of the mountains there; it will take you straight to the entrance." Tolan explained as he marked the exact location on Ysmir's map before Isran passed a crossbow and a quiver of bolts to him.

"You should take this...best thing for taking those fiends down before they get too close." He said simply before Ysmir accepted the weapon with a content nod; he went to pass one to Atreus, but he shook his head lightly.

"Let someone else use that...I prefer my own weapons." Atreus said simply, making Isran study him for a moment and even eye the weapons he had on his back before giving him a light shrug. "Suit yourself." He said dully as he watched the young man turn to leave. "I'll meet you both at Dimhollow...it's the least I can do to avenge my fallen comrades." Tolan said simply, making Isran look to him and shake his head lightly.

"Tolan, I don't think that's a good idea...you Vigilants were never trained for..." He started before Tolan interrupted him. "I know what you think of us! You think we're soft, that we're cowards...you think our deaths proved our weakness!" He argues as Atreus gave a light shrug in response.

"Actually, I think it does prove your weakness...going by what you've told us and how easily the vampires butchered your comrades and captured the one man in your order who actually suspected trouble, you're better off staying out of our way." He said in a blunt tone, making Tolan glare at him before approaching and stubbornly meeting his gaze. "I'm going to Dimhollow Crypt. Perhaps I can be of some small assistance to you." Tolan said in a stubborn tone, making Atreus roll his eyes at the idea before speaking again.

"The only assistance you'd be able to give us is if we use you as bait; and I highly doubt that Isran or my friend here would appreciate that idea. Do yourself a favor and sit this one out...you're not being brave by marching into a battle you clearly can't win, you're just being stupid." He states in a blunt, almost cold tone, although Tolan didn't show any signs of relenting and just walked off so that he could make his way to Dimhollow Crypt.

"Damn fool..." Atreus grumbled irritably as he looked between Ysmir and Isran for a moment. "Looks like we're heading out..." He said dully as he and Ysmir turned to leave before Isran gave them a light nod. "May Stendarr preserve you." He said simply, making Atreus clench his fist and shake his head.

"Leave your Gods out of this, Isran...they're not going to want any part of what's about to happen." He snapped in a cold, but somewhat reserved tone, although Isran chose not to respond to the comment.

"You there, boy! Stop skulking in the shadows and step up here; what's your name?" Isran called out, catching the farm boy's attention and almost making him cringe with the authority in his tone while Atreus stopped long enough to watch the exchange.

"I'm, uh...my name's Agmaer, sir." The farm boy, Agmaer answered nervously, making Isran narrow his eyes a bit. "Do I look like a 'sir' to you, boy? I'm not a soldier and you're not joining the army." He clarified sternly, making Agmaer give a reluctant nod in understanding.

"Yes si...Isran." Agmaer answered, his tone still a bit shaky thanks to his nerves. "Didn't I tell you to step forward? Hmm...Farm boy, huh? What's your weapon?" Isran asked as Agmaer approached, raising his eyebrow for a moment. "Uh, my weapon? I...mostly just use my pa's axe...when wolves are attacking the goats or something." He answered, earning a rather amused chuckle from Isran.

"'My pa's axe'...Stendarr preserve us. Don't worry, I think we can make a Dawnguard out of you...here, take this crossbow and let's see how you shoot." He said as he passed the crossbow that Atreus declined to Agmaer, making the farm boy study the weapon for a moment.

"Uh, crossbow? I've never..." Agmaer started hesitantly before Isran interrupted. "Yes, a crossbow...best thing for killing vampires...just take a few shots at those crates over there; and watch the recoil, it takes awhile to get used to." Isran told him as Agmaer loaded a bolt into the weapon, took aim and started firing at the crate.

Atreus watched the scene quietly and found himself thinking back to when he was a boy and the training his father subjected him to, which made his demeanor soften again when the memories played through his head again, although it was almost like he was seeing it all play out in front of him as he watched Isran tutor Agmaer.

"Atreus...you coming?" Ysmir called out to him, pulling him out of his memories again as he watched the scene a little longer. "Yeah..." He said simply as he regained his reserve, turned away from the scene and strolled out of the fort without another word.

* * *

After leaving Fort Dawnguard and making their way back to Riften, Atreus and Ysmir made a stop at the latter's home within the city, an estate known as 'Honeyside' so that they could regroup and figure out the fastest way to Dimhollow Crypt.

"Okay, so the Hall of the Vigilants is roughly a few hours walk from Dawnstar...only problem is that it'll take us a few days for us to get to the city on foot, maybe three or four if we don't sleep; our best bet is probably taking the carriage to Dawnstar then continuing on foot from there." Ysmir suggested as Atreus listened quietly and studied the map for a moment, although he wasn't having much luck in finding a quicker path to the crypt that would keep them from depending on a carriage.

"Sounds like a real pain in the ass...but, if that's the quickest way for us to get there, I guess our hands are tied." Atreus said dully, making Ysmir give him a light shrug in response before taking a swig from a bottle of mead he had sitting beside his helmet.

"Skyrim's a dangerous place...you never know, we may run into trouble along the way and you'll get to kill something before we make it to Dimhollow." Ysmir suggests, making a subtle, content grin tug at Atreus' lips when the thought went through his mind.

"Speaking of which, where did you get your weapons...? I've never seen anything like them before." Ysmir asked curiously before Atreus narrowed his eyes a bit and shook his head. "You're better off not knowing..." He answered dully, making Ysmir raise his eyebrow curiously as he studied him for a moment.

"Not a story you care to tell, I take it...?" He asked, making Atreus let out a light sigh and grow quiet again as he thought on the cataclysm that destroyed Asgard, left his home realm of Midgard in chaos and cast him into this realm, which led to his taking a long swig from his own bottle of mead; when Ysmir noticed his response, he assumed that whatever stories surrounded his weapons brought back horrible or unpleasant memories that he didn't care to revisit.

"Sorry...didn't mean to bring up any...unpleasant memories." Ysmir said simply before Atreus shook his head lightly, his icy eyes still glued on the map. "Don't be...let's just say some stories are better left untold..." He said dully, making Ysmir give him a light nod in understanding as his silver eyes studied him a little more.

"Fair enough...but, I can tell they're special...and seem to hold some deep sentimental value for you...family heirlooms, maybe?" He suggested in a simple, curious tone, although Atreus didn't respond right away as he thought about his parents again; even though it had been a long time since he lost his family, it still wasn't an easy thing to cope with. Ysmir took his comrade's silence as confirmation and decided to leave the subject alone for the time being.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for your..." He started before Atreus raised his hand to stop him, shook his head lightly and met his gaze for a brief moment. "Don't..." He said simply, making Ysmir hesitate a little bit before just giving him a light nod and dropping the subject completely. "We should go...don't want the vampires beating us to whatever artifact's hidden in that crypt." Atreus said before downing the rest of his mead and rising from his chair, making Ysmir give a light nod in agreement before finishing his drink, replacing his helmet, collecting his map and standing.

"Aye...I agree." Ysmir said simply as they made their way out of his home and strolled to the gate, which Ysmir took as an opportunity to strap a rather ornate long sword that held a divine light in its hilt to his side as they left the city then approached the carriage driver situated by the stables.

"Where do you need to go?" The man asked as Ysmir and Atreus approached him. "Dawnstar." Ysmir answered before passing the man a coin purse that would cover the trip, earning a light nod in return. "Climb on back and we'll be off." The man said simply before the two warriors climbed into the carriage quietly, making the man snap the reigns and urge the steed bound to the cart forward so he could take them to their destination.

* * *

A few hours after crossing over into Eastmarch hold, the carriage took them passed Windhelm and as they continued along the path to Dawnstar, Ysmir caught Atreus intently studying something on his hip with a curious look in his eyes; after watching him for a moment, Ysmir figured it was the look of a man who recognized something specific and that his familiarity didn't inspire a pleasant sentiment. "Something caught your eye...?" Ysmir asked simply before Atreus gave him a light shrug in response.

"Just can't imagine how much you had to sacrifice to earn that..." Atreus said simply as he gestured to the exquisite long sword, which gave off a divine light that seemed to be emanating from the hilt itself and simply reflected along the length of the blade, adding to its divine appearance while showing off the quality of its craftsmanship.

Ysmir raised his eyebrow lightly when he heard the comment before glancing down at the sword for a moment. "Excuse me...?" He asked curiously as he returned his gaze to Atreus before noticing the young man give a light shrug, he assumed that Ysmir must not have realized that he noticed him strapping the weapon to his belt on their way out of Riften despite his best efforts to do so when his back was turned.

"That sword you strapped to your side on our way out of Riften...only way you could have gotten your hands on a blade like that would be if you made a deal with a God..." Atreus points out, making Ysmir study him for a moment before uttering a light chuckle when he realized just how observant his comrade was.

"Nothing gets passed you, does it...? It doesn't really matter where it came from, though...just thought it'd be useful when we made it to the crypt and start running into trouble; it comes in handy when dealing with the undead." Ysmir explained simply as Atreus just listened quietly, although there was still that part of him that couldn't help wondering exactly how steep a price Ysmir had paid to receive it.

It didn't matter to Atreus what these Gods represented, light, darkness, good or evil, in his eyes, they weren't any better than the Aesir or even the Olympians that his father told him stories about when it came to their corruption and hubris.

"I guess as long as it helps us out in the crypt...just watch yourself when you deal with the Gods, any of them...they may act like they mean well in everything they do, but they'll betray you the first chance they get..." Atreus warned in a calm, but distinctly serious tone that suggested he had personal experience in dealing with such things, which only heightened Ysmir's curiosity about the young man and made him wonder what led him to this point in life.

"I'll...keep that in mind..." Ysmir said simply even though he knew to maintain caution when dealing with the Daedric Princes specifically, something in Atreus' words did intrigue him and started making the wheels in his head turn concerning the subject as a whole; he of course believed that the Divines had solely good intentions, but hearing this from Atreus did further peak his curiosity.

"Any particular reason why you're on bad terms with the Gods, though...?" Ysmir asked curiously before he noticed Atreus tense up for a moment and do it best to just ignore the question, which confirmed that whatever it was reminded the young man of something truly terrible.

"Doesn't matter..." Atreus said in a dull tone as he kept his eyes on the landscape around them, which made Ysmir give him a light shrug in response. "Seems like it matters to you..." He suggested simply, although Atreus just remained silent as he started reliving the same memories that had haunted him for the past fifty years once more while he kept his focus on the rather serene, but dangerous environment that Skyrim was known for.

Ysmir watched him for a moment as he watched the world go by and figured that he was using the sights as a means of distracting himself from whatever demons marched around in his mind, although he couldn't really blame him for it considering that sometimes it was all a man could do after seeing so much bloodshed and carnage in their lifetime.

"Fine, I'll quit bugging you about it...but, whatever it is and whatever pain it's caused you...holding it back won't make any of it go away; if anything it'll only make it worse in the end...trust me, I've seen what suppressing that level of pain can do to even the strongest warriors...it's never good." Ysmir said calmly in the hopes of maybe coaxing Atreus into at least telling him a little bit about his past so that it might ease his suffering a little, but Atreus didn't move or speak anymore and Ysmir just let out a quiet sigh.

"Just know that if you need to talk about it, you have someone to talk to...you have a good heart, boy...don't let it go to waste, not like that." Ysmir said simply only to be met with silence again, although he could tell that Atreus had at least acknowledged what he told him even if he was still doing his best to ignore the subject entirely.

After a moment, Ysmir just leaned back in his seat and started looking around himself as things between the two warriors went quiet with the only commotion being the consistent creaking of the carriage wheels turning coupled with the crunching of the rocks beneath them, which was usually followed by an occasional wolf's howl far off in the distance...

* * *

**Okay, so this one's still kind of a 'dull filler' chapter compared to the previous version, but I felt like the conversation about 'Dawnbreaker' would make for a decent fit at the end of this chapter, so I moved it up and figured I'd flesh it out a little more (Not much, just a little.). Not really much else to say about the chapter other than that.**

**Anyway, here's Chapter 2, hope it's as enjoyable as the first chapter even though there isn't as much action in this one and now, nobody has to wait on Chapter 3.**

**Enjoy...**


	3. Chapter 3: Dimhollow Crypt

Upon arriving to Dawnstar and stocking up on what little supplies they needed, Atreus and Ysmir made their way out of the rather small port city without any delay with their sights set on Dimhollow Crypt; the walk out of the city started off quiet and for the moment, there wasn't any trouble to be found.

"You're sure you don't want to talk...? Might help you ease your nerves..." Ysmir suggested simply as they left civilization and strolled into the wilds, which made Atreus roll his eyes lightly without looking back or even taking the time to slow down. "I thought you were going to drop it..." He snapped quickly before Ysmir gave him a light shrug in response.

"I was, but let's just say I'm not overly fond of watching someone with so much potential let the horrors of their past destroy them..." Ysmir answered before Atreus let out a noticeably frustrated sigh then turned to face him, the look in his eyes made it seem like his gaze alone was enough to freeze someone's blood within their veins.

"Let me guess, this is the part where you tell me that if I keep suppressing whatever pain's left over from my past, it'll only make things worse in the end and eventually destroy my very being..." Atreus said, his tone growing noticeably colder before Ysmir looked to him with a steadfast reserve then giving him a light nod in confirmation.

"In a way...but the only reason I'm staying on your ass about it is because there have been too many men like you...men who can't let go of events or choices that cause them nothing, but pain...good men who only wanted to help others and make a difference in the world...men who grow to hate themselves because they couldn't forgive something that was beyond their control." Ysmir said simply, making Atreus narrow his eyes a little bit before shaking his head lightly.

"I don't know why this matters to you and honestly, I really don't care to know...the only thing that ever needs to be known about my story is that it's better off lost and forgotten...there's nothing about me or anything I've seen or done that should ever be spoken of...all you need to know is that I'm the only one left who could tell it and I intend to have it follow me to the grave..." Atreus explained in a simple, but still rather cold tone as Ysmir just listened to him talk before he took a deep breath to keep himself from letting his anger take over without reason then meeting Ysmir's eyes.

"Do yourself and the world a favor...drop it...everyone's better off never knowing about me or my past...let alone that anything or anyone like me ever existed in the first place..." Atreus finished in a noticeably calmer tone before turning back around and continuing on to the crypt while Ysmir shook his head, let out a brief sigh and followed him without another word.

Before long, Atreus and Ysmir arrived at the still smoldering ruins of the Hall of the Vigilants and took some time to look around for clues that would give a little more insight into exactly what the vampires were seeking in Dimhollow Crypt, however all they found were the corpses of Vigilants, vampires and deformed, undead hounds.

"Well, at least they put up a decent fight before the vampires finished them off...guess some of them were a little more capable than I thought." Atreus said simply as he and Ysmir searched the bodies in the hopes of finding something useful, although there wasn't much aside from Ysmir's collecting some sort of ash or dust from the vampire's corpses.

"Aye, the Vigilants were decent fighters from what I saw of them...I feel like they're more used to witches and lesser Daedra than vampires, though." Ysmir suggested as he collected the ash from the last vampire he stumbled across, earning a light nod from Atreus as he rose to his feet and looked to his right, noticing the path that Tolan mentioned when he was providing them with directions to the crypt.

"Hey, when you get done playing around in the ashes, I think I found the path Tolan told us about..." Atreus said in a simple tone that sported a touch of wit as Ysmir turned his attention to Atreus then approached before pulling out his map, tracing the path out and nodding in confirmation when he connected the dots.

"That's it...the entrance to Dimhollow Crypt should be at the end of it." Ysmir said contently as he folded the map and placed it back into the pocket he pulled it out of, making Atreus give a content nod before he strolled forward and started making his way up the path.

"Alright then, let's go...the longer we take, the closer the vampires get to whatever artifact they have hidden in there..." Atreus said simply without missing a step or even looking back to make sure Ysmir was following him, although it didn't take long for the man to catch up and start following him along the path.

As soon as they arrived at the entrance, Atreus and Ysmir took a brief moment to look around and make sure they weren't followed or didn't have an ambush waiting for them before strolling into the cave's mouth quietly once they were sure the coast was clear.

* * *

Atreus and Ysmir strolled through the cave before noticing a shallow, snow covered crevice separating them from a gate that seemed to lead further into the crypt and seemed to be guarded by two vampires and one of the hounds they had found earlier.

"These Vigilants never know when to give up...I thought we taught them enough of a lesson at their hall!" One of the vampires began in an arrogant, but clearly frustrated tone as the two men looked between each other for a moment; they knew this now dead Vigilant must have been Tolan.

"To come here alone...a fool like the others." The second vampire, who was clearly a female due to the distinct difference between her voice and her male companion, who nodded lightly before a rather wicked grin formed on his lips.

"He fought well, though...Jeron and Bresoth were no match for him." The first vampire states only to earn a distasteful scoff from his companion. "Ha! Those two got what they deserved...their arrogance was becoming insufferable." She retorts, the comment making Atreus roll his eyes as he and Ysmir listened in on the conversation.

"Yeah, because your arrogance is much more tolerable..." He muttered sarcastically, almost making Ysmir chuckle in amusement, but he stifled the sound so that they wouldn't alert the vampires to their location; fortunately, the creatures hadn't noticed them yet and the first vampire let out a light sigh.

"All this talk is making me thirsty...perhaps another Vigilant will wander in here soon." The vampire said, the tone in his voice pretty much confirming the creature's claim as it gave off an unnatural thirst while his companion started pacing impatiently.

"I wish Lokil would hurry up...I have half a mind to return to the castle and tell Harkon what a fool he's entrusted this task to." She said bitterly before earning a look from the first vampire.

"And I have half a mind to tell Lokil of your disloyalty..." He warned with an almost cold tone only for the second vampire to give him an irritated sneer. "You wouldn't dare...now, shut up and keep watch!" She barked as they went back to their posts, their amber eyes scanning the area for any signs of movement.

"So, how do we want to handle this...?" Atreus asked in a simple tone as he and Ysmir looked around for a moment so that they could get a good feel for the area and how easily they'd be able to maneuver when the fighting started; Ysmir took a moment to glance over the ledge then back to the vampires for a moment before noticing that there was a path leading to the lower ground.

"Okay, I'll get their attention and kill the hound...the magic in this sword should send the vampires running after that, which will lead them down there, where you'll be waiting to finish them off; if one of them happens to resist the sword's magic, I'll finish that one off myself." Ysmir explained as Atreus listened to the plan, looked between the low ground and the vampires for a moment then gave Ysmir a content nod.

"Sounds good, let's go." Atreus said quickly before jumping down from the ledge and taking his position, drawing the Blades of Chaos when he landed while Ysmir made his way around the path and effectively attracted the vampires' attention.

"You should have stayed away, Vigilant!" The male vampire taunts as they each drew their weapons and charged while trying to drain Ysmir's life force; the hound lunged at the man only for him to plunge his sword into its chest, making it explode in a divine light as the corpse turned to ash while flames engulfed the vampires and made them flee as he had predicted.

Ysmir gave chase in the hopes of cornering them long enough for Atreus to deliver the killing blow before he managed to catch up to the female then decapitate her, causing her body to be completely consumed by fire and turn to ash as she exploded like the hound, which heightened the first vampire's fear as his flesh burned. It was at this moment when Atreus plunged one of his blades into the vampires chest, pulled him in and crushed his skull on one of the nearby rocks.

As they met up, Ysmir gave Atreus a content nod as he sheathed his sword and started looking around again. "Quick and clean, just the way I like it...now, let's see if we can find the switch for that gate." He said quickly as he started scanning the area for any signs of a lever or chain before Atreus gave him a nudge then motioned to the tower, which made the man nod in agreement.

"Aye...that looks like the best place to put it." He said simply as they strolled into the tower, made their way up the steps and found the rather simple pull chain, which Ysmir pulled without hesitation as the gate opened for them.

"Alright, now let's see what's waiting for us on the other side, shall we...?" Ysmir said simply, making Atreus give him a light nod as they made their way out of the tower and continued deeper into the crypt, which seemed to live up to its name the further they went.

After fighting their way through some skeletons and another vampire then making a brief stop in a room which held an Arcane Enchanter, Atreus and Ysmir continued into the next room before they heard fighting and eventually learned that the source of the commotion was a vampire struggling against a draugr. They watched the confrontation for a moment until the vampire eventually struck the draugr down then leaned against one of the stone pillars to recover his strength for a moment.

"I've got this one..." Atreus said simply as he pulled his knife, snuck around behind the vampire then plunged the blade into the creature's neck, which made him struggle unsuccessfully until Atreus stepped out into the open and finished pulling his blade through his enemy's flesh then watching the corpse fall at his feet.

Once Atreus motioned for his comrade to step out, Ysmir made his way into the tomb as they each started looking around for a moment until Ysmir started peeking through the gates that were situated in each corner of the room. "Atreus, you mind waiting on me by the exit...? I want to see if there's anything valuable in any of these rooms." He said after a moment before Atreus just gave him a light shrug in response.

"Fine...just don't take too long or I'm leaving without you..." He said simply as he made his way to the gate leading further into the tomb while Ysmir approached the first gate with his crossbow drawn and a bolt loaded into it.

When he reached the gate and took a moment to prepare himself, Ysmir pulled the chain to open it and noticed the sarcophagus at the end of it before drawing his sword as the torches lining the wall ignited, causing the tomb to pop open as a draugr stepped out of it; upon noticing the intruder, the draugr charged at Ysmir and attempt to cleave its aged and weathered greatsword through him only for the man to dodge the weapon, bash the creature with his crossbow then adjust his position long enough for him to plant a bolt in the side of its head and kill it.

Once he cleared the room out, Ysmir moved onto the second gate and pulled the chain before being met with a second draugr wielding a long sword, which made him replace the crossbow on his back and pull the divine blade he brought from Riften then engage the draugr in a duel; the ringing of swords echoed through the room for a few minutes before Ysmir found an opening and used his shield to crack the draugr across the head, force it into a corner then plunge his sword through its half-rotten flesh then watch the divine flames incinerate the creature until it turned to ash.

While Ysmir finished clearing out the small rooms behind each gate, Atreus waited patiently by the one leading into the next section of the crypt and had nearly talked himself into going on ahead before he saw the man strolling in his direction, which made him pull the chain to open the gate so that they could continue their mission.

* * *

After walking through the gate, Atreus and Ysmir found their way into a cavern that housed a rather shallow lake with various tombstones of unknown craft dotting the water before noticing a lone vampire sitting on the ledge that was perched above it.

"No way it's that easy..." Atreus said dully as they moved forward, catching the vampire's attention and leading her to draw her sword as skeletal warriors emerged from the graves hidden beneath the water and engaged them.

"Sometimes, I hate when you're right..." Ysmir said in a witty tone as he drew his sword and started attacking the skeletons, killing one instantly and triggering the fiery explosion that Atreus had become so used to seeing at this point while the remaining skeletons tried to flee only for Atreus to punch his way through them, shattering them with every swing.

The vampire prepared to flee once she witnessed the two warriors' onslaught, but before she could get anywhere, Atreus threw Leviathan and planted the axe deep into her skull, watching the body freeze instantly before calling his weapon back, which caused the corpse to shatter while the weapon returned to his grasp.

Ysmir looked to Atreus with a distinct mix of surprise and intrigue when he saw what the young man seemed to be capable of, he had seen much in his day, especially when it came to magic, but from what he had seen with Atreus so far, seemed like he was capable of things that many of the most seasoned mages question what they just saw.

After a moment, Atreus replaced his axe on his back and looked to Ysmir when he noticed his intrigue. "You coming or are you really that surprised...? We're getting close and something tells me the vampires are in too big of a hurry to wait on us..." Atreus said in a sarcastic, but kind of urgent tone as he started making his way up the ramp that led up to the ledge and into the next corridor.

"More intrigue than surprise, boy...I've seen a lot in my day, but that one's new...it usually takes even the most seasoned mages a lot of concentration and willpower to call a weapon back to them...and even then, there's limitations that prevent them from doing anything like that..." Ysmir observed in a noticeably intrigued tone as Atreus looked to his comrade and studied him for a moment before shaking his head lightly.

"This isn't exactly the best place to be discussing what kind of magic makes my axe work like it does...besides, even if I cared anything about telling that story, I'm not about to sit here and explain it to you when we have more important things to take care of." Atreus said simply before his attention back to the opening in the wall as Ysmir just brushed his curiosity off for the time being and followed him up the ramp and through the opening.

Once they stepped into the next room, they were greeted by vampires, more of the undead hounds that accompanied them and a few spiders who looked far bigger than they should be. Atreus didn't waste any time and kicked one of the hounds, causing it to let out a pained yelp before the sound of its bones shattering against stone filled the rather tight room as the vampires and remaining creatures tried to engage them.

As the skirmish continued, Ysmir struck one of the vampires down with his sword while Atreus bashed another across the head with his shield, grabbed it by the leg then swung it like a weapon before shattering its skull on the closest wall.

At this point, the remaining hound tried to jump Atreus and almost bit down on his shoulder, although he managed to catch it by the teeth and after a brief struggle, he snapped the beast's jaw out of place before shattering its neck then turning his attention to the spiders, which Ysmir had taken care of save for one. Upon noticing the last arachnid, Atreus pulled his axe and used it to split the creature's head in two like a piece of wood then kicked the limp corpse to the side as Ysmir looked around to see what the commotion was.

When he realized it was Atreus, Ysmir gave him a content nod as he propped his sword on his shoulder. "Thanks..." He said simply only for Atreus to give him a light nod before replacing his axe and walking forward with Ysmir close behind him; upon leaving the room, they emerged into a significantly larger chamber that seemed to overlook the rest of the cavern before noticing the large iron gate to their right that looked like it led into a much more elaborate tomb.

"I guess that's our next stop..." Atreus said simply as he and Ysmir approached the gate, stopping for a moment when they noticed another vampire fighting a spider that was significantly larger than the ones they ran into on their way into the chamber; the two men exchanged glances before Atreus spoke up. "I think we can take them..." He said with a kind of eager tone, making Ysmir nod in agreement and motion for him to open the gate, which he did without hesitation before pulling the Blades of Chaos from his back.

Upon hearing the gate open, the vampire turned before noticing the two warriors standing on the other side, his amber eyes studying them for a moment and almost making him forget about the spider behind him until it tried to lunge at him, making the creature dash out of the way before attempting to engage Ysmir.

Atreus turned his attention to the spider and rushed towards it, bashing it in the eyes with his shield as soon as he was in arm's length of it and stunning it long enough for him to begin eviscerating it with his blades.

Ysmir and the vampire dueled for a moment until the spider's agonized, dying screams drew their attention to it and Atreus as they watched the fiery blades glide through the air and systematically sever the creature's legs off before returning to their wielder, who then plunged one of them into the spider's head then ripped it out through it's neck as his eyes landed on the vampire.

Before the vampire had another chance to retaliate or even retreat, Ysmir plunged his sword into his back and watched as he burned to ash with a pained, dying scream before a wave of holy fire crashed through the room.

When the smoke finally cleared, Atreus and Ysmir sheathed their weapons and turned their attention to the aged wooden door that separated them from whatever secret Dimhollow Crypt held within its depths; Atreus was about to reach down and open the door before Ysmir stopped him, drawing his noticeably impatient gaze to him.

"We need to discuss what we should do with whatever we find in there, don't you think...?" Ysmir suggested before earning a light, indifferent shrug from Atreus as he reluctantly released the door knob and turned his full attention to Ysmir.

"Take it and report back to Isran, what did you think we were going to do...?" Atreus said in a blunt, yet sarcastic tone before Ysmir studied him then shook his head lightly. "Well, yeah, I figured that...but what if it turns out being some ancient vampire like you said...? I mean, of course, we kill it, but...what if there's more to all of this...?" Ysmir continued, making Atreus raise his eyebrow curiously as he thought on the suggestion for a moment; he knew Ysmir had a point, there could very easily be much more to whatever drove the vampires to this supposed artifact and the stakes could prove to be much higher if the 'artifact' was indeed another, older vampire.

"We'll figure that out when we learn what we're dealing with...for now, let's focus on beating the rest of these vampires to whatever's in there..." Atreus said simply, making Ysmir give a light nod in agreement as Atreus reached down and opened the door before they both walked through it and proceeded deeper into the crypt...

* * *

**And scene! Yeah, I'm cutting this chapter off here, I know it's a kind of screwed up cliffhanger, but it originally went on longer than expected, but I did try to flesh out certain scenes that needed to be fleshed out more since I talked myself into revising; so yeah, I figured 'What the hell.' and added a little more to those scenes.**

**Anyway, here's Chapter 3, hope it was a good one for you newcomers and that all returning readers still thought it was at least a decent read if nothing else.**

**Now, on to the next one...**


	4. Chapter 4: Mystery of the Crypt

Atreus and Ysmir strolled into the next room before being greeted by a balcony that overlooked a vast cavern with what appeared to be an elaborate island tomb made entirely of stone in the middle of a lake that rested beneath the various ledges that jutted out from the cave wall.

As they approached the balcony, they started hearing voices beneath them, which made Atreus hug the wall on the left side of the gate leading out before motioning for Ysmir to do the same as they started listening to the conversation.

"I'll never tell you anything vampire! My oath to Stendarr is...stronger than any suffering that you can inflict on me!" A man called out through a clearly pained wince, which made both Atreus and Ysmir peek out from their hiding place long enough to see if they could identify the man before noticing that he was a captive and battered Vigilant being interrogated by two vampires and one of their thralls.

"I think we found Adalvald…" Atreus said quietly as they turned their attention back to the scene beneath them. The lead vampire looked between his companions for a moment before turning his attention back to Adalvald with a wicked glimmer in his amber eyes and giving the man a content nod.

"I believe you, Vigilant...and I don't think you even know what you've found here; so go and meet your beloved Stendarr." The vampire said before running a knife across Adalvald's throat and killing him before he and his companions made their way separating them from the stone structure in the middle of the cavern. Atreus and Ysmir took this opportunity to step out of their hiding places and follow them as they used the shadows to hide their movements.

"Are you sure that was wise, Lokil? He still might have told us something...we haven't gotten anywhere ourselves with..." The second vampire began before the leader, who she identified as 'Lokil' interrupted her and kept his eyes locked on their quarry.

"He knew nothing...he served his purpose by leading us to this place, now it's up to us to bring Harkon the prize; and we will not return without it. Vingalmo and Orthjolf will make way for me after this." Lokil boasted arrogantly before Atreus allowed himself a light chuckle when he mentioned Adalvald outliving his usefulness by leading them to the crypt.

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about this self-absorbed bastard and his lackeys..." He said simply, making Ysmir look to him for a moment before shaking his head lightly as an amused smirk tugged at his lips. They turned their attention back to the vampires as they continued their conversation, although both men took note of the names they mentioned just in case one or all of them happened to be the masterminds behind all of this.

"Yes, of course Lokil...don't forget who brought you news of the Vigilant's discovery." The second vampire said in a simple, almost venomous tone as a deceitful smirk crossed Lokil's lips. "I never forget who my friends are...or my enemies." He assured simply as they crossed the bridge and started looking around for anything that would prove useful in revealing whatever artifact was hidden in the tomb.

Once Atreus and Ysmir reached the bridge, they watched the vampires fumble around in search of whatever clues they were looking for before looking to each other. "Okay, so how do we want to handle this lot...?" Ysmir asked curiously as Atreus looked between him, the vampires and the ledge to his left before turning his attention back to Ysmir.

"I'll distract them, get their tempers flaring and you stand at the end of that ledge, wait for an opening and see if you can pick one of them off with that crossbow Isran gave you...should be a quick easy fight." Atreus said simply, making Ysmir look to the ledge for a moment before turning his attention back to Atreus and giving him a light nod as he pulled the crossbow from his back and crept around to the ledge while Atreus strolled across the bridge.

"Ah! Lokil, was it? Thank you so much for leading me to this crypt, I doubt I would've been able to find it on my own." Atreus began in a clearly exaggerated and sarcastic tone, making the vampires and the mortal thrall accompanying them draw their weapons and glare at the stranger with obvious hostility.

"But, your job here is done, I'll take it from here...don't worry, I'll be sure to let Harkon know how helpful you've been in this endeavor when I finish up here!" He continued, further angering Lokil before he stepped forward and put his sword at Atreus' throat, although it didn't intimidate him in the slightest.

"I don't know who you are, but you will not be the one who delivers this prize to our lord...in fact, I have a feeling that you won't make it out of this crypt alive..." Lokil threatened in a venomous tone before Atreus gave him an amused smirk and met the vampire's amber eyes as his own icy blue ones gave off a brief, unnatural shimmer.

"Last chance...stand aside before this gets bloody..." Atreus warned, making Lokil give him a wicked smirk as he prepared to lop his head off only for Atreus to punch him in the ribs with enough force to send him flying back into the pedestal protruding from the middle of the structure.

It took a moment for the remaining vampire and the thrall to recover from the shock inspired by Atreus' display of strength and attempt to engage him; before the vampire could get close enough, however, she fell at his feet after a crossbow bolt tore through her skull and killed her.

The thrall, visibly shaken by all of this tried to retaliate before Leviathan cleaved its way through his flesh and froze him solid, killing him instantly while Atreus made his way over to Lokil, who was still recovering from the impact he had suffered as Atreus called Leviathan back to him then placed it on his back while the corpse shattered.

* * *

Upon reaching Lokil, Atreus wrapped his around his stunned opponent's throat and lifted him to his knees before tightening his grip until the vampire's bones shattered in his grasp, causing Atreus to casually drop the body like it was nothing and turn to see Ysmir approaching him.

"It's a damn good weapon, powerful...but, I think I prefer traditional bows; the reload time with this is a pain in the ass." He said simply as he placed the crossbow on his back, making Atreus let out a light chuckle as they started looking around to see if they could succeed where the vampires failed.

Ysmir started looking around and studying the darkened braziers that seemed to circle the pedestal at the center of the structure in what he believed was a peculiar manner while Atreus studied the pedestal itself before noticing the lines on the floor and how they seemed to connect to the braziers. "What do you think...?" Ysmir called out as he started noticing the pattern himself.

"I think whoever this Harkon is should have sent smarter lapdogs if he really wanted his prize..." Atreus said simply as Ysmir looked to him curiously before realizing that he must have pieced it all together. "Explain..." He said, making Atreus give him a light nod before continuing.

"You see the lines on the floor, right...? Whatever they are, they started at those braziers and circle this entire area...each one leads back to this pedestal..." He explained, making Ysmir look down at the lines and trace them back to the pedestal itself before stopping at Atreus' side.

"So, whatever's hidden here, it's hidden under this pedestal...and this is basically some big puzzle of some magical origin." Ysmir suggested, making Atreus nod in confirmation as they each studied the pedestal for a moment before noticing that the top of the pedestal seemed like it could be pressed down. "Now, the question is how do we activate it...?" He continued before Atreus looked to the pedestal and raised his hand.

"Only one way to find out." He said simply before pressing down on the top of the pedestal while Ysmir tried to stop him just in case it was a trap, however before he could protest, Atreus had pressed the button, which caused an iron spike to pierce his hand for a brief moment, which made him wince lightly, but otherwise didn't cause him any noticeable pain. With this done, the braziers ignited in dark purple flames with a path made of similar magic crawling along one of the lines and leading to the first brazier.

As Atreus pulled his hand back, Ysmir looked between him and the brazier for a moment before giving him a brief nod. "Well, I guess now all we have to do is push these braziers back into their proper place." He said simply, earning a light nod from Atreus as they each made their way to a brazier; as they followed the path and moved the braziers into place, the magic from whatever ritual guarded this artifact seemed to draw some sort of energy from them both until they solved the puzzle.

When the last brazier was in place, the floor of the structure descended into a set of steps as the pedestal rose to reveal a strange monolith that almost resembled a sarcophagus while violet magical energy emanated from the structure; once the stone settled, Atreus and Ysmir approached the monolith and studied it curiously for a moment before looking to each other.

Ysmir gave Atreus a nod before he pulled against the front of the monolith, causing the structure to slide open and reveal a young woman with pale skin and dark hair within it; once the structure opened, the woman fell out of it before instinctively catching herself so that she wouldn't hit the ground then rose to her feet as her crimson eyes opened groggily and looked between the two rather surprised men.

Atreus and Ysmir studied the woman for a moment as she tried to wake up, although thanks to her heightened senses, she had learned enough about her saviors by their scent alone to realize that they weren't like her, but she also realized that they weren't as human as they seemed either; however, it seemed that Atreus' scent threw her off the most, but she shook her curiosity and drowsiness off long enough to try and get answers.

"Where's...who sent you here...?" She asked in a noticeably disoriented, but curious tone as Ysmir and Atreus looked between her and each other for a moment like they were trying to figure out what to tell her. "I guess we're not who you were expecting...?" Atreus suggested curiously, drawing her attention back to him as she shook her head lightly in response.

"Actually, I was expecting someone more...well, like me, at least..." She said simply, her eyes studying Atreus the entire time she spoke, although it wasn't in the usual hungry manner that most vampires seemed to flaunt openly, there was more curiosity, intrigue and confusion in her eyes than anything. "You're..." Ysmir started before the woman looked to him and gave a brief nod to confirm his suspicion.

"A vampire, yes..." She answered, causing Ysmir to turn his gaze to Atreus for a moment before they each looked back to her, although Ysmir's surprise grew significantly when he noticed the exquisite, gold-plated relic draped across her back, which made him tap Atreus on the shoulder lightly.

"A word, if you don't mind...?" He asked in a kind of low tone, making Atreus raise his eyebrow lightly before the woman looked between them and shook her head lightly. "Anything you need to discuss, you can say in front of me...there's no point in talking like I'm not here." She assured in a simple, but somewhat offended tone before Atreus turned his attention to her and gave a light nod. "Sorry..." He said before shaking his head lightly and looking to Ysmir.

"What is it...?" Atreus asked, noticing the surprise in his comrade's eyes as he looked between him and the woman, his eyes drifting to the item on her back every now and then. "Look, I know the Dawnguard would want us to kill her..." Ysmir started in a low, but distinctly concerned tone, although the woman overheard the comment and it made her throw her guard up a little bit as Atreus responded with a shrug.

"We're the only Dawnguard agents here...and personally, I don't see any point in killing her...what has you so jumpy all of a sudden...?" Atreus said bluntly before Ysmir subtly motioned to the relic in her possession, which made Atreus study it and her even more curiously as she met his icy gaze for a brief moment, something that caught both of them off-guard before Atreus regained his reserve and acted like nothing happened.

* * *

"So, what...can you tell us about why you here locked up in this tomb...?" Atreus asked curiously before the woman's eyes dropped for a brief moment as she let out a quiet sigh and looked to him again, something that let him know that it must not have been a pleasant story.

"It's...complicated...and honestly, I'm not entirely sure I can trust either of you, yet..." She said in a simple, but cautious tone, which made Atreus raise his eyebrow in curiosity.

"Why's that...?" He asked, although he had a pretty good idea that it could be due to the fact he and Ysmir had just finished discussing whether or not they should kill her right in front of her; the question made her give a brief shrug as she seemed to study them a little more.

"You mean other than the fact you were both sent here to kill me...?" She suggested, making both men give a light nod in understanding before she spoke again. "Well, without sounding completely rude, your friend smells like a wet dog and...something else I haven't quite figured out, yet; I just know he's not as human as he presents himself to be...and you..." She stopped again as her eyes went back to Atreus, who she still seemed to have trouble figuring out.

"You're almost impossible to even try and figure out at all..." She finished, making the two men look between each other again with noticeable surprise in their eyes, although Atreus wasn't quite as surprised by her impression of him considering no one would be able to figure out his nature unless he outright told them or if said individual happened to be a God themselves. The woman looked between them for a moment before addressing them again.

"Tell you what, if you can get me to my home so that I can get a better sense of where we all stand, I'll tell you the whole story." She said in a calm tone, earning a content nod from Atreus before Ysmir nodded in agreement. "Aye, we can do that...where do we need to go...?" Ysmir asked curiously, making the woman give them each a content nod before letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

"My family used to live on an island off the coast of Solitude...I would guess they still do; hopefully, we'll be able to find a boat that can take us there." She answered simply as Atreus and Ysmir memorized the directions and prepared to exit the crypt. "By the way, I think introductions are in order...my name is Serana." She adds after a moment, making the two men each give a light nod in greeting.

"I'm Ysmir." Ysmir introduced himself in a calm, respectful tone before he and Serana turned their attention to Atreus as he scanned the cavern for a moment, almost like he was trying to keep his attention focused on something else, although upon hearing the woman's name, he looked back to her and Ysmir so that he could exchange pleasantries.

"Atreus...nice to meet you." Atreus introduced himself simply before Serana gave them each a content nod. "Good to meet you, too..." She said simply as Ysmir kind of watched them curiously, he couldn't help noticing that Atreus seemed to act a little more...tolerant around Serana compared to how he acted around anyone else and something about this apparent shift in demeanor seemed interesting to him.

Ysmir cleared his throat after a moment before turning his attention to Serana as she and Atreus looked to him, both of them seemingly oblivious to how distracted they seemed at the time. "Any idea how to get out of here, Lady Serana…?" He asked curiously, earning a light shrug from her as she looked around to see if she could figure something out.

"Your guess is as good as mine, honestly...this place looks pretty different compared to when I was locked away." She answered, making Ysmir give a light nod in understanding before he stepped around the monolith to see a bridge leading to the other side of the cavern.

"Alright, looks like we'll have to figure it out as we go...I'll take point, Serana, you take whichever position you're comfortable with and Atreus...do what you do best." He said quickly as Serana started following them while Atreus situated himself to the side so that he'd be able to engage anything they ran into from every possible direction.

"Does the air feel...heavy down here? I'm a little woozy, but it might just be from waking up." Serana asked, making them both shrug lightly considering they hadn't noticed. "To be fair, the air in here probably isn't helping with that process any..." Atreus suggested simply before she looked to him and gave a light nod in agreement before leaving the subject alone.

As they made their way across the bridge, they heard the sound of stone cracking and shifting, which made Serana stop in her tracks and look ahead before motioning for Ysmir and Atreus to stop. "Wait..." She called out, but before she could warn them about what was coming, two statues that were perched at the edge of the platform on the other side of the room sprung to life and revealed a pair of gargoyles. Atreus studied the creatures for a moment before looking to Ysmir and Serana.

"You two take the one over there...I'll handle this one." Atreus said as he motioned them to the gargoyle on the far left before charging at the one closest to them as it prepared to charge at them, earning a genuinely surprised look from Serana when he mentioned fighting one of them alone. "Are you insane...?" She called out before the gargoyle's head crashed into Atreus' shield only to be forced back without effort as he prepared for a fist fight.

When the first gargoyle was out of the way, Ysmir pulled his dual-bladed battle axe, which sported a spike at the end of the head and a carving of a screaming face separating the blades upon further inspection, and charged at the second gargoyle before popping it with the weapon's shaft; after a moment, Serana shook her head and let out a sigh before charging into the fray, casting ice spikes at the gargoyle Ysmir was fighting and lightning bolts at the one Atreus decided to face alone whenever she found an opening.

* * *

While Ysmir and Serana fought the second gargoyle, Atreus stood toe-to-toe with the first and effortlessly evaded the creature's claws before delivering a few devastating punches into every opening he could find until the creature cracked him across the head and made it coil back for a brief moment then deliver an uppercut to its jaw and send it flying backwards before crashing into the platform behind it.

The sound of the gargoyle's impact was enough to draw Serana's gaze to the scene as Atreus started strolling towards the downed creature as it struggled to its feet, which surprised her even more considering how easily he seemed to handle himself against something that would normally butcher even some of the best warriors if they made a wrong move, but Atreus made it look like child's play.

She watched long enough for the gargoyle to regain itself long enough to charge at Atreus again only for him to grab it by the horns, slam it down on the ground then drag it to its knees before casually snapping its neck then dropping its limp corpse at his feet then turn his attention to its companion, which Ysmir had crippled after cleaving his axe through its knee; Ysmir averted his gaze long enough to realize what Atreus had done, which gave the creature enough time to try and take advantage of his surprise and reach for his leg.

Upon seeing this, Atreus pulled his bow, nocked an arrow and took aim at the gargoyle's ribs before drawing the bowstring back. "Þruma!" He cried before releasing the lightning infused arrow and watching it pierce the creature's flesh, making it let out a pained cry as electricity coursed through its body and stunned it long enough for Ysmir and Serana to snap out of their shock before she cast an ice spike through its shoulder so that Ysmir could decapitate it and finish the job.

When the last gargoyle fell, Atreus strolled over to it as Serana's eyes followed him until he reached the corpse and ripped his arrow out of its flesh then replaced it in his quiver before turning and making his way back to the path leading out; he could tell that both Ysmir and Serana were still surprised by his display, but pretty much just shook it off before turning to face them and giving a light shrug.

"You coming...?" He asked in a simple tone as he waited for them by the ramp leading out of the cavern, making Ysmir give a light shrug before strolling towards Atreus while Serana just took a moment to regain her reserve then approach them quietly; as she passed by Atreus, she looked to him and studied him a little more, surprise, shock, curiosity and intrigue still fresh in her eyes as the trio made their way into the next room.

As they entered the next room, Ysmir went looking around for treasure that may have been stashed in a hidden crevice beside the platform that seemed to dominate half of the room while Atreus and Serana made their way up the stairs to see if they could find a way to open the gate that separated them from the exit; after getting a good look at the area, Atreus glanced at the lever before looking to the sarcophagi that lined the wall behind it.

"This looks way too easy...as soon as we pull that lever, draugr are going to spring out of those coffins and ambush us." Atreus said simply as Ysmir caught up to him and Serana, who raised her eyebrow suspiciously when she heard his observation. "You're sure about that...?" She asked in a curious, but clearly suspicious tone before he gave her a light nod in confirmation.

"Their sole purpose is guarding these crypts, right...? Why wouldn't they intervene if someone tried to escape...?" Atreus suggested, making her study him as she thought on what he said for a moment. Part of her wanted to disagree and say that he was just being paranoid, but after thinking about it and looking around the room, she knew he made an excellent point; Ysmir gave a light shrug before voicing his opinion.

"You're not wrong, Atreus...but, they don't always spring out of their resting places with every disturbance; maybe these will stay in their graves." He suggested simply, although he knew that they most likely wouldn't be that lucky, it was never that easy. "20 Septims says you're wrong." Atreus said simply, making Ysmir raise his eyebrow a bit before giving a light nod in response.

"Alright, you're on." Ysmir said simply as he stepped towards the lever while Atreus positioned himself in a spot where he'd be able to engage the draugr before they got close enough to cause any real damage. Serana watched them both curiously before shaking her head lightly. "Are you really making a bet on whether or not we're going to be attacked when we open the gate...?" She asked in a dull, sarcastic tone before Ysmir shrugged his shoulder's lightly.

"Not much of a bet, really...he's been right about everything else, so far." He said with a light chuckle, making her look between him and Atreus for a moment before shaking her head and preparing herself for every possible outcome as Ysmir pulled the lever, opening the gate without trouble before the sarcophagi sprung open to reveal five draugr, who stepped down from their tombs as their glowing blue eyes landed on the intruders.

"Told you." Atreus said in a quick tone as he pulled the Blades of Chaos from his back and rushed towards the strongest looking draugr then plunged them deep into its rotting flesh while Ysmir raised his shield to block the second's greatsword as Serana fired ice spikes and lighting bolts at the others. After Atreus finished slaughtering the first draugr, Ysmir used his axe to cleave the second's legs out from under it then cut it down like lumber before moving onto the third.

Serana finished off another draugr and turned just in time to see one with a horned helmet rear its head back like it was taking a breath, which caught Atreus' attention and made him dash in between her and the draugr. "FUS RO DAH!" The draugr shouts in a whispered tone, casting a light blue energy from its mouth that had enough force to send even well-conditioned beings across the room, although Atreus had raised his shield at the last moment and while he managed to absorb the bulk of the shout's force, it still sent him sliding backwards until Serana instinctively reached out and placed her hand on his back to stop him.

* * *

After recovering from the impact, Atreus lowered his shield then threw one of his blades into the draugr's flesh before pulling back to him then cracking his shield across its skull and making it crumble to the ground; once it was disoriented, he ripped the blade out through its torso then turned to face Serana for a moment.

"Thanks for catching me." He said quickly before she gave him a content nod as they both turned their attention to the remaining draugr. Ysmir cleaved his axe through the fourth while Serana sent an ice spike flying through the fifth's head before following it up with a lightning bolt that finished it off; after killing the last draugr, Ysmir caught up with Atreus and Serana then tossed the former a coin purse with a light smirk before they made their way through the gate, which led into what looked like an arena with a throne perched on each side.

"I don't like the look of this..." Serana said cautiously as they entered the room, making Ysmir and Atreus nod in agreement as they started looking around. "Me either...this place reeks of trouble." Atreus said simply, the three of them raising their guard as they descended down the steps before a rotting corpse dressed in aged, tattered robes glides into the center of the arena, utters a blood-freezing shriek and unleashed a wave of dark energy across the room that caused the corpses seated in their thrones to stir before standing while skeletal warriors rose from the ground.

"Lich!" Ysmir called out as Atreus and Serana looked to the robed creature in the center of the arena before Atreus tightened his grip on his blades. "I've got him, keep me covered!" He said quickly before rushing down the steps, making Serana shake her head lightly.

"Wait, Atreus...!" She called out in an attempt to stop him, but before she could say anything else, Atreus leapt from the last step and used the momentum from his inevitable landing to spin his blades around the room, shrouding his form in an inferno as they glide through the skeletal warriors before cutting through the lich as fire consumed the creature and caused it to retreat.

Serana looked to Ysmir with surprise before motioning to Atreus as he pursued the lich with a tenacity neither of them had witnessed in even the most seasoned warriors of Tamriel. "Shouldn't we help him...?" She asked in a noticeably surprised tone before Ysmir gave her a light nod.

"We can help him by keeping the rest of these draugr occupied...trust me, he can handle himself." He said quickly before charging at one of the more powerful draugr and cleaving his axe through its flesh and crippling it long enough to lop its head off as he turned his attention to three of its companions, two of which he cut down without effort before dueling with the third.

Upon hearing this, Serana shook her head before rushing into the fray and pelting everything she saw with ice spikes and lightning bolts then cutting into them fiercely with the dagger she had strapped to her side, occasionally looking between Atreus and Ysmir just in case they got themselves into a situation they couldn't handle alone. "I swear, they're both crazy..." She muttered to herself as she struck another draugr down with her magic.

After a moment, the lich returned to the arena in an attempt to evade Atreus' onslaught, but as soon as he found an opening, he ran along the length of one of the pillars long enough to give himself a boost before lunging forward and throwing his blades at the creature until they plunged themselves into its flesh; he used the chains to pull himself in and tackle the lich to the ground, ripping one blade out as soon as he landed then using the second to send it flying across the arena as it tore through the rotting flesh and bone.

As it tried to recover, Atreus strolled towards the lich then swung his blades into the ground before ripping them out again as a spout of hellfire consumed the creature and finished it off, which made him turn towards his companions as Serana finished off a group of draugr then rushed to help Ysmir finish off the last three; when he saw this, Atreus rushed after her as they each chose a draugr then engaged.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!" Ysmir shouts, making one of the draugr stagger as a torrent of fire consumed and destroyed it while Serana weakened the second with magic long enough for her to plunge her dagger into its skull and finish it off; the third turned to Atreus and reared its head back in an attempt to shout before being interrupted by his shield crashing into its skull as he plunged one of his blades into its torso then cut it clean in two.

When the smoke cleared, Serana looked between Atreus and Ysmir for a moment before shaking her head lightly and sheathing her dagger while the two men re-sheathed their weapons. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were both completely insane...especially you." She said in a simple, yet blunt tone before motioning to Atreus when she said the last part only to earn a light smirk from him in response. "But, it helps me feel a little better knowing I'm in good hands with you as my escorts..." She finished after a moment, making Ysmir and Atreus give her a content nod.

"Glad we could put your nerves at ease..." Ysmir said contently before looking to Atreus with a subtle smirk when he noticed that he had let his usual reserve down again, if only a little bit. "And honestly, you're no slouch yourself...glad we have you with us." He said simply, making Serana look to him for a moment as a subtle smile barely tugged at her lips before she gave him a light nod.

"Thanks..." She said simply, although the tone in her voice suggested that she genuinely appreciated knowing that the two men seemed grateful for her company, although she shook this off quickly and regained her reserve and looked to them again. "Can we go...?" She asked quickly, making her companions nod in agreement.

"Aye, let's go." Ysmir said quickly as the trio started making their way to the exit, although Atreus looked to Ysmir when he noticed the smirk on his lips. "What are you smirking at...?" He asked in a quick tone, making Ysmir snicker lightly before shaking his head lightly. "Don't worry about it..." He answered simply, although Atreus knew something had amused him, but decided not to question him about it for the time being.

As they made their way to the gate leading out, Ysmir noticed a wall that had strange markings carved into it and mysterious chanting echoing from the writing before approaching and studying the markings for a moment; once he finished, he gave a content nod and rejoined Atreus and Serana as they approached the gate, which Atreus opened before they strolled up the path then out of the exit.

* * *

As the trio strolled out of the cave mouth, Atreus looked to the west to see the sun setting before turning his attention to his companions as Ysmir studied the landscape to see if he could find their quickest path to Solitude from the cave while Serana closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, almost like she was savoring the sensation before letting it out with a content sigh.

"It feels good to breathe again...and this weather's incredible." She said in a soft, noticeably relieved tone as she looked around, almost like she was savoring the land's beauty before the light of the still setting sun burned her eyes and made her wince in a noticeable discomfort and irritation.

Atreus looked to her just in time to see her pulling a hood over her head in order to shield her eyes from the light, which made him notice the discomfort present in her expression as soon as his gaze landed on her. "What's wrong?" He asked in a simple, but noticeably quick tone before she blinked a couple of times to help her eyes adjust faster then look to him and give him a light nod.

"My eyes just need to adjust to the light..." She answered simply as she shook off her discomfort and met his icy eyes for a brief moment as he subtly started studying her and thinking on a way to make the trip home a little easier on her, but when he noticed that he almost let himself get distracted by her again, he quickly shook his head and took a moment to collect himself before offering a suggestion.

"We can wait until dark before moving on, if you want..." Atreus suggested simply as Ysmir just listened to them with a subtle, but amused smirk when he started noticing how he was acting around her; something about Atreus' demeanor around Serana reminded him of how he acted when they first saw Dayspring Canyon despite being somehow being much more amusing in comparison, but he chose not to comment on it yet.

Serana kept her eyes on him and just shook her head lightly. "No, it's okay...just have to get used to being outside again...thanks for offering, though..." She assured him before she felt a light, subtle smile threaten to tug at her lips, but she managed to suppress it enough so that neither one of her companions would notice.

"Yeah, um...don't mention it." Atreus said in a simple, somewhat softer tone before their eyes met again, he wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about her that seemed to hold his attention in a way that almost made him feel like he could lower his guard; although when he noticed the sensation, he collected himself and retook his reserve before clearing his throat to try and distract her and Ysmir from his temporary change in demeanor.

"We should go...this probably isn't the best place for small talk..." Atreus said in a simple, but quick tone before Serana realized that she had gotten a bit distracted herself and quickly regained her reserve so that she could focus on getting home. "Yes, you're right...let's go." She said simply as Ysmir shook his head lightly, his amused smirk still fresh on his lips as he turned his attention to the North-West.

"Solitude is this way...when we get there, we can make a quick stop at the tavern to find an alternative route to your home just in case we can't find a ferryman who's willing to take us the rest of the way there; if we don't find anyone, then we'll travel from the city and work from there." Ysmir said simply as Atreus and Serana looked to him before they each gave him a light nod in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan." Serana said as she, Ysmir and Atreus took their positions and made their way down the mountain side before strolling through the snow covered forest until they found themselves in the marshlands of Hjaalmarch...

* * *

**Okay, so this one's longer than last time and I moved the scene outside of Dimhollow to the end for this one, because I wanted to work that part in last time; other than that, I think it's mostly aesthetic changes, fixings any typos I missed in my first proofreading and changing or adding to a few lines of dialogue to the end scene.**

**Anyway, Chapter 4, onto the next one, etc. and if anybody has questions that don't reveal BIG spoilers about anything beyond Chapter 6, don't hesitate to ask.**

**Read on, readers...**


	5. Chapter 5: Dragon's Fire

"How long were you down there, anyway?" Atreus asked curiously as they walked through the marsh, drawing Serana's eyes to him as she thought on the question for a moment before giving him a light shrug. "Good question...it's hard to say, though...I just feel like it's been a long time..." She said simply before thinking on it a little more in the hopes of figuring it out for herself and giving her companions a more solid answer.

"Who is Skyrim's High King...?" She asked after a moment before Atreus raised his eyebrow lightly and shaking his head a little bit. "I think it's still being sorted out...unless you've heard anything about that damn mess being taken care of..." He answered, turning his attention to Ysmir when he said the last part only for the man to chuckle lightly before giving a light shrug.

"No, as far as I know, it's still a matter of debate." Ysmir said simply as Serana listened to them curiously before shaking her head lightly. "Oh wonderful...a war of succession...good to know the world didn't get boring while I was gone; who are the contenders?" She said curiously before Atreus shrugged a little bit.

"Heard a lot about an Ulfric Stormcloak whenever I stopped in the cities...something about him murdering the last High King with his voice and starting a rebellion, but that's the extent of my knowledge..." He explained simply, which made Serana raise her eyebrow lightly and study him for a moment before Ysmir chimed in.

"Aye, many in Skyrim support Jarl Ulfric because he stands up for traditional beliefs...the Empire supports Jarl Elisif because of the support they gained from her and her husband Torygg, though." He elaborates as Atreus took the details into account and more or less just brushed them off before Serana stopped in her tracks and looked to them with a heightened curiosity.

"Wait, Empire...? What Empire?" She asked in a kind of quick tone before Ysmir looked to her with his eyebrow raised, part of him figured that she must have known about the Cyrodilic Empire, but considering that none of them knew how long she had been locked in the tomb, it seemed very likely that she may have been around sometime before Cyrodil's rise to power.

"The Empire from Cyrodil…" He answered simply, making her look between him and Atreus for a moment as her curiosity was replaced with surprise. "Cyrodil is the seat of an Empire...?" She asked with a noticeable disbelief, earning a light nod from Ysmir before Atreus shrugged lightly. "A crumbling Empire from what I've heard, but yeah...still an Empire." He said simply as Ysmir looked to him for a moment and gave a light shrug.

"You're not wrong...it ain't what it used to be." He said simply as they turned their attention back to Serana, who looked like she was deep in thought at the moment before she finally shook her head and looked back to them. "I must have been gone longer than I thought...definitely a lot longer than we originally..." She started after a moment before taking a breath and looking between them with an increased sense of urgency.

"Let's hurry, please...I need to get home so I can make sense of all this..." She finished in a quick tone before Atreus gave her a light nod in understanding as he met her eyes again for a moment. "We'll have you home before you know it...you have our word." He said in a noticeably softer tone as Serana met his eyes and gave him a content, grateful nod in response.

"Thanks..." She said contently before she and Atreus took a moment to collect themselves and started walking forward again as Ysmir watched them quietly and just shook his head lightly as an amused smirk played across his lips.

As the trio continued their trek through the marsh, Atreus kept his eyes open for any signs of trouble just in case something decided to try and catch them off-guard and attack them whenever an opening presented itself, although despite his best efforts to keep his eyes forward, he found his gaze drifting to Serana every now and then, which led to him eventually being completely distracted by her.

Whenever he started noticing how distracted he was, he made a point to look away as quickly as possible so that neither she or Ysmir would notice as he didn't want to risk making her uncomfortable or let either of them catch him with his guard down; Ysmir looked back just in time to catch Atreus glancing at Serana before quickly looking away and trying to act like he wasn't distracted by her, which made his smirk grow a bit as he shook his head lightly and turned his eyes forward.

Part of him wanted to address the change in demeanor with Atreus, but he figured that it wouldn't be a good idea considering his attempts to ignore it. "So, Serana...what can you tell us about your home?" He asked simply, making her look between them for a moment before thinking on her answer for a moment; she still wasn't sure how much she wanted either of them to know about her or her family.

"There isn't much to tell besides what I've already told you; it's my family home...not the most welcoming place, but depending on who's there, I'll be safe." Serana answered simply, which made Atreus look to her with a noticeable concern in his eyes, although he tried to keep it from showing. "Someone you don't want to see...?" He asked curiously, making her look to him as she tried to think of the best way to answer them.

"My father and I don't really get along..." She said in a simple tone before her eyes dropped as she felt a mix of disgust and disappointment at her statement. "Ugh." She muttered in disgust, which made both men look to her for a moment. "That bad, huh...?" Atreus asked simply, although Serana kept her eyes down and just shook her head again.

"Saying it out loud just makes it sound so...common. 'Little girl doesn't get along with her father'; read that story a hundred times." She said in a kind of disappointed tone before letting out a quiet sigh and turning her eyes forward so that she wouldn't let it bother her as much; although part of her really didn't want to sound like she was complaining about 'daddy issues' around them considering how nice they've been to her so far.

Atreus didn't respond to this right away, but her change in demeanor and the way she talked about the subject told him that she wished things between her and her father weren't the way she described it. "I'm sorry...for what it's worth." He said in a kind of quiet tone, making her look to him for a moment before giving him a brief, but genuinely appreciative nod before leaving it alone.

Even though she wouldn't say it out loud, she couldn't help appreciating how much Atreus seemed to care about her feelings, although she chose not to read into this behavior much as she still wasn't entirely sure about his or Ysmir's intentions for her yet; for all she knew, they could have been trying to coax her into lowering her guard and earn her trust so that they could kill her when they believed she was vulnerable.

Ysmir looked to Atreus for a moment and gave him a content nod as his smirk grew a bit, which made Atreus raise his eyebrow lightly before tilting his head a bit. "Something on your mind, Ysmir…?" He asked in a dull, but kind of curious tone before Ysmir just gave a casual shrug in response.

"No, just listening...and making sure nothing sneaks up on us while I'm at it." He said casually, although Atreus wasn't completely buying it; he could tell the man found something amusing, but he wasn't sure what or why just yet.

* * *

Once the cloak of night covered the land again, the trio soon found themselves approaching the Karth River that separated Hjaalmarch's marshes from Solitude's shores, which made Atreus look around curiously before turning his attention to Ysmir. "This is our quickest path, huh?" He asked simply as he kept looking around for a boat or something that could help them get across without getting wet.

"Aye...not the most convenient way to Solitude and definitely not the driest, but it's the fastest...only other option is to go around until we reach Dragon Bridge then work from there, but that'll take awhile; especially considering we'd have to go through the Reach to even have a clear path there..." Ysmir explained as he and Serana watched Atreus look around for a moment before he shook his head in disappointment then looked back to them.

"Well, looks like we're getting wet...unless you know where somebody stashed a boat that we could borrow." Atreus said in a dull tone before Ysmir shook his head lightly in response. "Sorry, no boat around here that I know of...it's either this or travel in the opposite direction until we stumble across a clearer path." He said simply, making Atreus look between his companions and the water for a moment before shaking his head lightly.

"Okay, let's go swimming." Atreus said with a shrug as he made his way to the water, although before he could get a good start, they heard movement to the left that drew everyone's attention to the source and made them throw their guard up in preparation for trouble.

"You both heard that, right...?" Serana asked them quietly as she went for her dagger while Ysmir pulled his battle axe from his back and Atreus went for his bow, both men giving a light nod in confirmation when they had their weapons ready. "Aye, I heard it..." Ysmir confirmed quietly.

"Me too..." Atreus added as their eyes followed the movement for awhile, although there wasn't enough light for them to actually make out anything that would help them identify whatever was stalking them; that was when Atreus thought of something that could help them figure out the culprit much quicker. "I have an idea...Serana, you might want to shield your eyes for a second." He said simply, making them both look to him for a moment as he nocked an arrow then pulled it back while Serana reluctantly did as he asked.

"Ljösta!" Atreus cried as he loosed the arrow, causing the projectile to emit a bright light that illuminated the area significantly and gave them enough time to figure out that their previously unknown stalkers was a group of medium sized frostbite spiders, which were being led by a giant one, that headed straight towards them, although the light from Atreus' arrow seemed to cause them noticeable discomfort and gave the trio enough time to prepare themselves for the creatures.

"This shouldn't take long...let's deal with the smaller ones first then we'll take the big one down together." Ysmir said quickly as Serana lowered her hand when the light from Atreus' arrow died down before they each gave a content nod; Serana started pelting a few spiders with her magic while Atreus fired arrows at the others with almost lightning speed, which gave Ysmir enough time to ready his axe then take a deep breath.

"WULD NAH KEST!" He shouts before charging into the group with a blur and using the momentum from his charge to cut down five of the smaller spiders and even take out a couple of the big one's legs so that he could finish the last two that tried to close in on him before they could get their bearings. After Atreus and Serana finished off any stragglers, she looked to Atreus before motioning to Ysmir and the giant spider. "Go help him keep it busy, I'll cover you." She said in a quick tone, making Atreus give her a light nod as he draped his bow over his shoulder then pulled Leviathan from his back and charged forward.

Ysmir circled the giant spider for a moment as he tried to bait it into attacking him before it swung one of its front legs at him only for him to cut into it with his axe then pierce the spike through one of its eyes, making it let out a pained squeal as it stumbled back; he took advantage of this moment and took out another leg while it tried to use its fangs to bite down on his.

He moved his foot just in time and watched the spider stumble back to its feet and prepare to lunge at him, although upon hearing Atreus coming towards him, he smirked lightly and waited for the spider to lunge before stepping out of the way as Atreus threw Leviathan; the axe flew through the air and cleaved itself deep into the spider's head, freezing it long enough for Ysmir to finish it off with a clean decapitation after Atreus called his weapon back to him.

When the spider fell, Atreus and Ysmir looked to each other as the latter gave a content smile and a nod while Atreus gave a light shrug in response. "Yeah, you're right...it didn't take long." He said with a light chuckle as Serana approached them, although when she noticed another set of shadows moving towards the two men, she raised her guard and prepared to attack whatever it was.

"Atreus! Ysmir! Look out!" She called to them before striking the creatures with ice spikes and lightning, which made Ysmir look behind Atreus and prepare to cut down the rather burly, bestial creature as it raised its arm to attack him. Atreus glanced back for a moment and dodged the creature's attack while Ysmir cleaved his axe through its flesh, making it let out a monstrous roar as it stumbled back, although it seemed to recover from the wound quickly; that was when Atreus and Ysmir noticed that there were three of these creatures.

"Trolls." Ysmir said as he bashed the first one in the head while Atreus got back to his feet then switched Leviathan out for his blades then cut into the second, which didn't recover anywhere nearly as fast as the first when the weapons' flames creeped across its flesh.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!" Ysmir shouts, shrouding the trolls in a torrent of fire while the combination of his fiery breath and the flames from Atreus' blades finished the second off as the inferno weakened the last two significantly, which gave Ysmir enough time to finish the first one off while the third slowly regained itself. The beast, now infuriated by the death of its brethren, charged at Ysmir before Serana mercilessly pelted it with her magic as Atreus cut into it with his blades to distract it until Ysmir charged forward and cleaved his axe through its knee to cripple it.

The troll took advantage of this and knocked Ysmir's legs out from under him, although the man rolled out of its way before it could try to crush his ribs then got back to his feet quickly as it stood back up; it prepared to engage the trio again, but before it could get a good start, the current silence was broken by an ear-splitting shriek as a dragon swooped down and snatched the troll up, catching all three of them off guard as it casually dropped the creature some distance away from them then circled around to engage.

* * *

"Finally...something actually worth fighting." Atreus said simply as he sheathed his blades and went for his bow, earning a laugh from Ysmir while Serana joined them and waited for an opening. "Nothing scares you, does it...?" He asked in an amused tone as he replaced his axe on his back before a ball of dark purple energy formed in his left hand, earning a brief laugh from Atreus.

"Not enough to stop me." Atreus answered simply as Ysmir conjured a bow and a set of arrows out of thin air, which made Atreus look to him for a moment and chuckle lightly. "Huh...looks like you have some tricks up your sleeve." He said with a simple, but noticeably impressed tone as the two men nocked their arrows while the dragon flew towards them.

When it was close enough, the dragon unleashed its fiery breath on the trio as it glides over them, causing Serana to dash to her right as she fired ice and lightning at it while Atreus and Ysmir strafed in opposite directions and pelt it with arrows. The dragon circled around once more as the projectiles pierced its hide while the trio switched their positions so that they could take the beast from all sides until it stopped and hovered above Atreus for a moment; upon further inspection, they noticed that the dragon had reddish orange scales, green eyes and was significantly bigger compared to some of the more common dragons.

After a moment, the dragon reared its head back like it was taking a breath, something Atreus remembered during their fight with the draugr in Dimhollow and from watching Ysmir fight, which made him drape his bow over his shoulder and raise his shield before it unleashed the full force of its fire breath on him; while he kept the beast occupied, Serana and Ysmir continued their assault and Atreus used the opportunity to pull Leviathan from his back.

"FO KRAH DIIN!" Ysmir shouts, unleashing a torrent of frost and ice on the dragon when it finished its assault, making it let out an irritated snarl as the frost bit into its scales before turning its attention to Ysmir; Atreus took advantage of this and threw Leviathan at the beast, the axe planting itself deep into the dragon's hide and making it snarl before he called it back then threw it once more to increase the damage while it tried to shake off the consistent assault.

The dragon flew away in order to try and catch them off-guard as Atreus called Leviathan back to him again, making the three of them watch its movements carefully so that they could properly counter its attacks while Serana and Ysmir kept throwing projectiles at it whenever they found an opening; by this time, Atreus had switched back to Talon and fired on the dragon mercilessly in order to keep it busy.

This time, the dragon set its sights on Serana and glided towards her as it prepared to douse her in an inferno, which caught Atreus' attention and made him rush towards her as it inhaled while she and Ysmir kept firing at it; just before the dragon's fire rained down on her, Atreus had wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, got her to the ground and raised his shield in order to protect them from the flames, which surprised her and almost made her instinctively attack what she at first assumed was another enemy until she caught his scent and realized what happened.

As the dragon glided over their heads, Atreus took Leviathan and threw it as he and Serana stood again, causing the axe to pick up momentum as it glides through the dragon's hide, leaving a significant gash in its side as ice crept across the wound before he called it back to him. The dragon circled around once more and directed its attention to Ysmir, who was still mercilessly pelting it with ethereal arrows without slowing down or hesitating; after a brief moment of recovery, Atreus retrieved Talon before he and Serana started firing on the dragon again as they started closing in on its position.

Once it had a clear shot, the dragon prepared to unleash its fiery breath on Ysmir, although as it took a breath in preparation for its assault, Ysmir did the same and waited until it opened its mouth to release its Thu'um before attacking. "FO KRAH DIIN!" He shouts, sending a blast of ice down the beast's throat and stunning it for a moment as it continued its flight, which gave Atreus and Serana enough time to rejoin him as they each kept firing at the beast while it circled around once again.

"We need to get him on the ground, it'll be a lot easier to finish him off, then...I have an idea on how to do that, but it's kind of crazy." Ysmir said simply, making Serana look to him as Atreus responded with a light chuckle. "Sounds like fun...what do we need to do?" He said simply before Ysmir looked to him with a content grin as the dragon let out a roar at their backs, which let them know it was getting closer.

"I need to stand over there with your eyes on me...Serana, you stand over there and keep us covered; now Atreus, when I say the word, be ready to give me a boost." Ysmir explained as Serana looked between them for a moment and shook her head a little bit. "You're sure this is going to work...?" She asked simply, making Ysmir shrug lightly as he turned to face the dragon while Atreus got to his position and waited for his cue.

"Only one way to find out." Ysmir answered simply, making her look to the dragon before her gaze went to Atreus, who didn't look at all phased by the fact there was literally a dragon at his back then looking back to Ysmir and giving him a brief nod as she went to her position and kept her eyes on the beast. Ysmir banished his bow, pulled his axe from his back and dug his heels into the ground as he prepared himself to attack; upon seeing this, Atreus dropped to one knee and got ready to give him the boost he needed.

"Now!" Ysmir called out as he sprinted towards Atreus at full speed, making him raise his shield arm as the wind from the dragon's wings rushed by him and made him breathe in; once Ysmir was close enough, he raised his shield before his comrade stepped up on it, which made him rise to his feet and use the momentum to send Ysmir into the air. After jumping from the shield with Atreus' help, Ysmir raised his axe in preparation for his attack before taking a deep breath and aiming the weapon at the dragon's wing.

"WULD NAH KEST!" He shouts before flying forward and swinging his axe as he used the momentum from his shout to increase the power behind his attack, which caused the axe to bite deep into the dragon's wing as soon as it made impact and rip through the leathery skin that allowed the beast uninterrupted flight then cleaving through one of the thinner bones that held the limb together; the dragon let out a pained roar as it lost its balance and glided over its enemies long enough to crash to the ground before Ysmir landed behind Atreus.

* * *

As the dragon tried to recover from its injury, Ysmir went to Atreus' side as Serana rejoined them with a surprised, but impressed look in her eyes before they turned their attention to the dragon and approached it with their defenses up. When it started rearing its head back, Atreus threw Leviathan at its neck and sent the axe cleaving through its flesh as Serana fired ice spikes at it before they each charged at it while it recovered from the damage inflicted by the frost axe after it returned to its wielder's grasp.

When they were close enough, Serana pulled her dagger as Atreus lunged at the beast with his axe raised before slamming it down on the ground, causing a cluster of ice spikes to shoot out of the ground and bite into the dragon's hide while Ysmir cleaved his axe through its neck when it reeled its head back to strike him.

"SU GRAH DUN!" Ysmir shouts, imbuing his axe with a powerful wind before mercilessly swinging it at the dragon with lightning speed and inflicting crippling damage that made it retaliate by snapping at him, although he used the weapon's shaft to defend himself while Serana plunged an ice spike through the beast's eye as Atreus brought Leviathan down on it's neck, making it release Ysmir's weapon as the man used it to cleave a deep gash across its throat.

The dragon tried to fight back after the blow, but was met with a barrage of lightning fast blows from Ysmir and a series of ice spikes from Serana that was followed by a deep cut from her dagger, which made it turn and snap at Atreus, causing him to slide back for a moment before lunging and punching the beast's head so hard that he knocked scales and teeth loose, even disorienting it enough for Ysmir to jump in the air then bring his axe down on its neck once again to finish it off.

Once the dragon let out its dying breath, the trio took a moment to breathe as the beast's flesh started burning away before an ethereal energy left its remains and was absorbed into Ysmir's body, a display that Serana and Atreus watched with intrigue until the spectral light diminished as Atreus approached him with Leviathan propped on his shoulder. "Care to explain that...?" He asked in a simple, but somewhat wary tone before Ysmir looked to him.

"Do you know the stories surrounding the Dragonborn...?" Ysmir asked curiously so that he could see how much Atreus knew about the legend before explaining all of the details, although when he noticed him raise his eyebrow with a sense of realization, it pretty much answered the question for him. "You mean the rare warriors who are born with the souls of dragons, devour their souls upon killing them and have a natural ability to use their power as easily as the dragons themselves...?" Atreus suggested curiously, earing a light nod in confirmation from Ysmir.

"Aye, that about sums it up..." He said simply, making Atreus study him for a moment, although he noticed a look in his eyes that suggested a sense of caution that could evolve into distrust if the wrong move was made, which made him assume that it may have been connected to whatever bitter opinion he had for the Gods of Nirn.

"I know I probably should have said something sooner, but I really don't like flaunting my nature...I'm not ashamed of it, but I feel like revealing myself as Dragonborn upon first meeting someone makes me seem...arrogant; which is something I try to actively avoid." He explained calmly in the hopes that Atreus would accept his reasoning behind not revealing his nature sooner.

Even though Atreus felt like he should be angry for Ysmir's not telling him the truth or the fact he was so closely connected to the Gods due to his dragon blood, he knew he really didn't have any room to judge considering he was hiding his true nature and understood his reasoning behind it; in a way, he respected him for not openly flaunting it like most beings who wielded such power would. "Fair enough..." He said simply as he placed Leviathan on his back then turned his attention back to the river.

"We should go..." Atreus added simply before earning a content nod from Ysmir, who replaced his battle axe on his back and strolled forward. "Aye..." He said contently without missing a step as Atreus and Serana followed him, although when she reached Atreus, she took a quiet breath and went to his side.

"Hey. Thanks for...you know." She said in a noticeably soft tone as Atreus looked to her before giving her a light nod. "You're welcome." He said simply as their eyes met again for a moment before they each regained themselves and walked to the bank of the Karth River without another delay.

Upon reaching the shore, they stumbled across an elderly fisherman who had heard the commotion from their battle and came to investigate, although upon realizing that Ysmir was the Dragonborn, he offered to take them across the river so they wouldn't have to swim; when they made it to the other side, Ysmir paid the man and the trio made their way into Solitude before stopping at 'The Winking Skeever' tavern so that they could plan their next move.

* * *

"It's this island here." Serana said as she pointed out a speck of land that was situated off of the North-Western coast of Skyrim and near High Rock's borders, which made Ysmir nod contently as he marked the location on his map. "Alright, now we have a solid location...now, to figure out how we're going to get there since every ferryman we've spoken to seems so skittish about the place." He said simply as Atreus took a relatively long swig from his bottle of mead.

"My family usually keeps a boat to help us travel between here and the island...hopefully, it'll still be there." Serana explained simply, making Ysmir give a light shrug before speaking again. "Sounds good...we can walk from the harbor and make our way along the coast until we find the boat then it should be as simple as rowing across." He said contently as the trio used their remaining time to just relax for a moment before continuing their journey.

As they sat and had a few drinks, the bard who entertained the patrons began playing a soft, almost melancholy, yet soothing tune on her flute that made Atreus stop before taking another swig from his mead and listen for a moment; when he listened a little longer, he learned that the melody sounded eerily similar to a lullaby his mother used to sing to him as a boy whenever he was distressed or restless and he started getting lost in it.

It didn't take long for the tune to make him drop his reserve completely as the memories of his mother returned with her voice replacing the flute's music in his mind and making his icy eyes drop; after a moment, Serana and Ysmir noticed this change and looked to him with a mix of curiosity and concern, the latter of which grew when they noticed tears threatening to form in his eyes.

"Atreus...?" Serana said in a calm, but somewhat worried tone, although he didn't respond, which made her shake him lightly to try and get his attention. After the melody faded, Atreus started looking around before noticing the concerned looks in his companions' eyes and was about to ask them about it before he felt a tear creep down his cheek, which made him quickly wipe his eyes, retake his original reserve and stand up.

"I'll...meet you both outside...here's my share for the drinks." He said in a calm, but noticeably quick tone before tossing a coin purse on the table, taking what was left of his mead and walking out of the tavern without another word, making Serana and Ysmir look between the door and each other for a moment.

"What brought that on...?" Serana asked with curiosity and concern in her tone before Ysmir shook his head lightly, the same concern present in his gaze. "Best guess is that it had something to do with the music...maybe it...reminded him of something." He said in a somewhat surprised tone, making Serana look to the door again before rising from her seat as she looked back to Ysmir.

"Maybe we should check on him..." She said simply, making Ysmir nod in agreement before responding. "You go ahead, I'll meet you out there after I pay our tab." He said simply before she gave him a light nod then made her way out of the tavern quietly.

After stepping outside, she looked around for a moment to see if she could find Atreus, but she didn't see him anywhere, which made her assume that he went somewhere a little more private, which made her start sniffing the air before she picked up his scent and followed it; before long, she found him hidden in the shadows and leaning against the side of the tavern with his gaze turned to the sky.

"Atreus..." She called out in a soft tone, drawing his icy gaze to her after a moment. "Ready to go...?" Atreus asked simply, although she could tell by the tone in his voice that he had been crying a little bit despite his efforts to hold it back, which made her approach him quietly before actually answering.

"Ysmir's paying for our drinks then he'll be out shortly...but, that's not why I'm out here." She said before stopping at his side; his eyes dropped for a moment before he looked away when he realized what made her come looking for him.

"I'm fine, Serana..." Atreus said in a somewhat dull tone, although she could tell that something was bugging him and for whatever reason, she wanted to at least try and help him feel better. "You're a good liar, but even the best liars have secrets they can't really keep hidden, no matter how hard they try...what's wrong...?" She said simply, making him let out a dull chuckle before shaking his head lightly, although he didn't answer her right away.

"Just...followed the wrong trail of thought and ran into a few old ghosts...I'd rather not talk about it." Atreus answered after a moment, making her give a light nod in understanding as she let out a soft sigh. "That's fair, I guess...it's never easy talking about something that...sparks powerful feelings, especially when you've spent so much time trying to suppress them..." She said in a soft tone before shaking her head lightly and adjusting her stance a little bit so that she stood right in front of him.

"But, if you change your mind and feel like talking about it...I don't mind listening." She said in a soft tone as she instinctively placed a comforting hand on his cheek, which made him tense up for a moment before their eyes met again and coaxed him into relaxing a little more.

Normally, Atreus hated feeling this vulnerable around others regardless of how well he knew them or how much they got along, he knew that such vulnerability was something a very cunning opponent could take advantage of, but being around Serana made him feel like he could make an exception; which made him a little more paranoid, but he ignored it when they started losing themselves in each other's eyes for a moment.

Things went quiet between them when this happened and it seemed like they were both just trying to figure out what brought this on before the silence was broken by Ysmir clearing his throat to get their attention, which drew their eyes to him as he watched while hiding an amused smirk. "We ready to go...?" He asked in a simple tone, making Serana lower her hand as she and Atreus regained themselves and approached him.

"Yeah, we're ready..." Atreus said simply before quickly wiping his eyes again to try and cover up the fact he had shed some tears, which made Ysmir look between them for a moment as he gave them a light shrug. "I can come back in a few minutes if you're...sharing a moment." He said in a simple, but noticeably witty tone, which made Serana avert her eyes for a moment as she subtly nipped her lip before Atreus just shook his head lightly.

"No, it's fine...we need to keep moving, anyway...I'm sure Serana's ready to get back to her home and we don't need to delay her any longer..." Atreus said simply, making Ysmir raise his eyebrow lightly before looking between them for a moment then just nodding his head lightly. "Alright, then...let's go." He said simply as the trio quietly made their way out of the city and headed for the harbor so they could finish their journey...

* * *

**(Not really going to change the A/N here too much since it's still kinda relevant and that any changes made in this one are pretty self-explanatory.)**

**Okay, another stupidly long chapter, which was completely unintentional, but I underestimated how long this one would go on for; a good few of them will most likely be pretty long and drug out, but I'll try not to make it TOO much of a trend.**

**So, on that note, I'll just leave it at that, if you have questions that don't reveal big spoilers, ask away and I'll see y'all in the next one, which is now finished and will be waiting on you before you finish this Author's Note.**

**Adios...**


	6. Chapter 6: Castle Volkihar

After leaving Solitude and passing through the harbor, the trio continued on their path to the island that Serana's family called home; everyone had been noticeably quiet after leaving the city for one reason or another and it made the air around them seem a little more tense than it really was.

Serana would occasionally look to Atreus to make sure he was doing okay after their moment outside of the tavern, which still seemed like it may have just been a random thing to her, but despite her efforts, she still found herself thinking about it whenever she wasn't thinking about what she had waiting for her at home; part of her even considered whether or not going there was the best idea, especially considering that Atreus and Ysmir seemed to treat her better than her family had most of the time.

She quickly abandoned the trail of thought and tried to find something to talk about so that she wouldn't start following it again before she found herself thinking back to the dragon they ran into on their way to Solitude, which was a curious encounter to her considering dragons had been extinct or assumed to be myths before she was locked away; with this in mind, she decided to break the silence, get her answers and hopefully coax everybody into talking again so nobody got trapped in their own heads.

"So, can either of you tell me about that dragon we fought...?" She asked in a simple, but noticeably curious tone before both men looked to her as they considered thought on how to answer her question. "I'm guessing they weren't around in your day..." Atreus suggested simply, making her glance to him for a moment before shaking her head lightly.

"No...everyone always assumed that they were myths...or at least extinct..." She answered, making him give her a light nod in understanding before looking to Ysmir, who seemed like he knew much more about the subject than Atreus himself did, especially considering that there weren't any around during his first fifty years in Tamriel and only started showing up recently.

"They were either extinct or damn good at hiding...I can't really tell you much about how or why they're coming back other than it being something of a recent occurrence, though; it's like they just started randomly appearing out of nowhere one day." Atreus explained simply as she listened intently before she noticed him glance to Ysmir, which made him glance back at them and give a light shrug in response.

"It started when one attacked Helgen and burned it to the ground, along with everyone in it...the second sighting was near Whiterun, but me and the local guards managed to kill it, which is when I first learned about my being Dragonborn..." Ysmir began simply, making Atreus and Serana listen to him with a noticeable intrigue as they continued their stroll along the coast line.

"Anyway, they've been appearing in larger numbers ever since and from what I can tell, it's turning into a pretty big problem...one that I intend to deal with as soon as possible." Ysmir finished, a statement that made both of them study him curiously as Atreus raised his eyebrow curiously. "You know what's bringing them back..." He suggested simply, making Serana look to him as Ysmir just remained silent for a moment before taking a breath.

"I have a hunch, yes...but, let's not worry about it right now...it's basically a long, cryptic and incredibly vague story..." Ysmir answered simply before Atreus just gave him a light nod and left the subject alone. He could tell that there was more to the story that Ysmir didn't feel like sharing, but considering how he had been about his own past, he chose not to pursue it any further and let the man explain in his own time.

"You may get to see it for yourself, though...I should be able to handle it alone, but honestly I'd appreciate having you watch my back when the time comes." Ysmir said simply, looking to Atreus when he did and making the young man raise his eyebrow lightly; part of him had hoped that his days of traveling with others would end again after he and Ysmir made sure Serana got home safely, but at the same time there was something tempting about jumping head first into an army of dragons.

"We'll see...let's just focus on this whole 'vampire crusade' for now and work from there..." Atreus answered after a moment, earning a content nod from Ysmir while Serana just listened to them while they discussed the prospect. "Fair enough...just know the offer stands if you decide to accept it." Ysmir said simply, although Atreus didn't comment either way and the trio turned their attention back to the path ahead of them.

As they walked along the coast, Serana's eyes scanned the world around her despite occasionally drifting back to Atreus only for her to avert her gaze before he could catch her, however after a moment, her gaze lingered a lot longer than she wanted it to until he looked back, which made her quickly look away in the hopes that he didn't notice; after a moment, she looked back to him and took a subtle breath.

"You alright back there...?" Atreus asked curiously when he caught Serana's glance before she started looking around again, although he chose not to call her out on it considering he had worked in a few glances himself.

"I'm fine...just wondering if you had any stories to tell...you seem like someone who has plenty." She said simply before Ysmir tensed up a little bit due to the response he was usually met with whenever he asked him about his past, although rather than showing any anger or frustration, Atreus' eyes softened a little as he just took a breath and shook his head lightly.

"None that I care about telling..." Atreus answered in a rather low tone, one that told her that any stories he had most likely brought up horrible memories, which made her give him a light nod in understanding, but peaked her curiosity more.

"They bring up memories you don't want to revisit..." Serana said in a soft tone before letting out a light sigh, making him give her a light shrug as he just looked around for a moment so that he could keep himself from getting caught up in his worst memories and nightmares.

"My stories tend to remind me of..." Atreus said, making Serana and Ysmir look to him when his eyes dropped for a brief moment as he recollected his reserve and shook his head lightly. "It's not important...making sure you get home safe is..." He said simply, earning a light, yet somewhat reluctant nod from her as they kept walking along the coast line and looked around for the boat she mentioned in the tavern.

* * *

Before long, the trio came across a battered and broken down dock that looked entirely out of place in the wilds with a noticeably aged and worn boat resting next to it. "I guess this is the boat we're looking for, huh...?" Atreus said simply, making Serana give him a light nod in confirmation.

"That's it..." She said simply as she, Ysmir and Atreus approached the vessel and looking to the fog-shrouded island directly across from their location. "Alright...ready when you two are." Ysmir said simply as he stepped onto the dock, making Atreus look to Serana for a moment before motioning for her to get in.

"Ladies first..." He said simply before she gave him a light nod with a brief, subtle smile threatening to tug at her lips as she stepped on to the dock then got into the boat, leading Ysmir to step in behind her when she was seated; Atreus took a moment before he pushed the boat off into the water, jumped in when it was stable enough to sustain the impact, grabbed the closest oar and started rowing.

Once they made their way across the sea and landed on the island's shore, Atreus and Ysmir studied the ancient, massive castle that greeted them upon their arrival before they looked to Serana for a moment, who acted like she had mixed emotions about the place. "This is your home...?" Ysmir asked curiously before she looked between them and noticed how surprised they looked, making her give them each a light nod in confirmation.

"This is it. Home sweet...castle." Serana answered simply as the two men just looked between her and the castle for a moment before Ysmir shook his head lightly. "Why didn't you tell us it was this big...or a castle?" Ysmir asked simply, making her give him a light shrug.

"I didn't want you to think that I was one of those...you know, the women who just sit up in their castles all day? I don't know, coming from a place like this, well...it's not really me; I hope you can both believe that." She explained before Atreus gave her a light nod in understanding.

"Which is why it's so surprising...can't really speak for Ysmir, but you strike me more as a woman who enjoys exploring..." Atreus said with a light shrug, making Ysmir and Serana look to him before she gave him a brief nod in response.

"I do, actually...it's better than staying stuck in a castle all the time..." She said in a kind of soft tone, which made Atreus watch her for a moment before she shook her head lightly and looked to the castle. "Let's go..." She said quickly as the trio strolled up to the castle.

Atreus and Ysmir scanned the environment around them and couldn't help noticing how dead everything looked, which made sense in a way considering the entire island was more or less ruled by vampires; as they made their way up the bridge leading to the iron gate, Serana reached out and lightly tapped both men on the shoulder.

"Hey so...before we go in there..." She starts in a noticeably reluctant tone, making Atreus and Ysmir study her for a moment before asking her what the problem was. "You okay...?" Atreus asked in a simple, but noticeably concerned tone as she looked to him and gave him a half-hearted nod.

"I think so...and thanks for asking..." She said softly before taking a light breath so that she could tell them what was troubling her. "I just wanted to thank you both for getting me this far, but after we get in there, I'm going to have to go my own way for awhile..." She explained, earning a curious look from both men.

"We do something wrong...?" Ysmir asked curiously before Serana looked between them and quickly shook her head to assure them that they didn't do anything wrong. "It's nothing like that! You and Atreus have been great...you kept your word and even went out of your way to make our journey comfortable...it means a lot." She said in a quick, but genuine tone that made an actual smile threaten to tug at Atreus' lips as Ysmir gave her a light, appreciative nod.

"Oh, it's nothing...glad we could help out as much as we could." Ysmir said contently before Atreus gave a light nod in agreement as he hid his brief, but subtle smile. "And truth be told, it's been kind of nice having you around..." Atreus adds simply, earning a noticeably amused smirk from Ysmir as a light smile crept across Serana's lips.

"Thanks..." She said in a soft tone before shaking her head lightly and recollecting her reserve. "Anyway, this is touching, but we need to focus...I know I can trust you to show restraint and not kill everyone inside, but once we're inside, just keep quiet for a bit...let me take the lead." She said simply, earning a light nod in understanding from both men.

"Aye, we can do that..." Ysmir said simply, making her give him a content nod as the trio made their way to the gate with Serana leading them in before an elderly man approached the gate in order to stop them. "You're trespassing! No one's supposed to..." The old man barked before he noticed Serana with them, which made his eyes widen in surprise.

"Milady? Is it really...?" The man asked in disbelief before collecting himself and retaking his post. "Lady Serana's back! Open the gate!" He called out enthusiastically as the aged iron gate creaks against the stone that held it before opening completely, making Serana, Ysmir and Atreus stroll past the old man and enter the castle.

* * *

Upon entering the castle, the trio were approached by a golden-skinned elf with white hair and the trademark amber eyes that alerted those who recognized them to his vampirism; the elven man glared Atreus and Ysmir with a distinguishable hostility, although Atreus returned the glare quickly. "How dare you trespass here?!" The elf barked before he noticed that Serana was with them, which made his entire demeanor change as she lowered her hood.

"Wait, Serana? Is that really you...? I can't believe my eyes..." The elf said in disbelief before strolling to the balcony that overlooked the castle's dining hall as Serana looked to Atreus for a moment, who looked like he was maintaining his reserve well enough, although part of her wasn't sure how long it would last if they learned that her father was anything like he was before she was locked away.

"My lord! Everyone! Serana has returned!" The vampire announced, drawing all eyes in the dining hall to the balcony as the vampires within whispered among themselves about their disbelief and surprise at the news. "I guess I'm expected." Serana said simply, although she sounded a bit surprised herself as the trio made their way to the balcony then descended down the stairs leading into the dining hall.

As soon as they entered the room, Atreus' eyes landed on Harkon and he took a moment to study the man to see if he could figure him out a little more before actually deciding whether or not he was worth respecting; when he noticed the power hungry look in the vampire lord's amber eyes and saw how this apparent lust for more power became more obvious when he saw Serana as opposed to any signs that he had genuinely missed his daughter, his blood started boiling, but he took a quiet breath to keep himself from making a scene.

"My long lost daughter returns at last. I trust you have my Elder Scroll...?" Harkon said in a simple tone that hinted at his obsession with the Elder Scroll when he asked her whether or not she had the relic with her, something that seemed to disappoint Serana distinctly, although she tried to keep it from showing and shook her head lightly.

"After all these years, that's the first thing you ask me...?" Serana asked in an almost hurt tone, although she kept her reserve and took a breath before letting it out in a noticeably disappointed sigh before looking to her father again. "Yes, I have the scroll..." She said, her disappointment in her father's obsession becoming more noticeable when she answered him as everyone in the room murmured among themselves in surprise and excitement when she confirmed that the Elder Scroll was in her possession.

Upon hearing this and noticing how much it seemed to hurt and disappoint her, Atreus felt his blood boil more as his knuckles cracked when he balled his fist, something that Ysmir noticed quickly and made him get ready to try and hold him back if his anger possessed him to strike Harkon. "Of course I'm delighted to see you, my daughter...must I really say the words aloud...?" Harkon said in a half-hearted tone that sounded rather bitter when he essentially muttered the last part.

"You mean admit whole-heartedly that you missed your daughter...and let her know that you're genuinely happy to see her again? Yes, you must..." Atreus states in a noticeably cold, frustrated and venomous tone as all eyes went to him; Serana was a bit caught off-guard by the comment and while there was a part of her that knew it was out of line, especially after she asked him and Ysmir to wait before saying anything, deep down she knew he was right in observation and that for the most part, his outburst was justified.

"You dare openly insult our lord in the heart of his keep?!" The elven vampire scolded in a noticeably angered and flustered tone as Atreus turned his icy glare to the vampire with a noticeably unamused glimmer in his eyes; everyone else watched the scene and even Harkon studied the young man with an intrigue that suggested he could consider him a worthy rival if nothing else.

"Oh, I'm sorry...I just don't think it's very appropriate for your lord to be more concerned about the condition of some damn scroll than he is his own daughter..." Atreus retorts with a distinct sarcasm, although his tone seemed to become noticeably more venomous when he said it, something that further angered the vampire to his left and made Ysmir and Serana prepare to step in to prevent a confrontation.

Harkon, however felt an amused, yet wicked grin tug at his lips as he watched the display and saw how much of a fire the young man had in his heart, which concerned Serana a little more considering that this was a sign that her father was most likely trying to size him up and see if he would prove to be as worthy an adversary as his attitude suggested.

"Listen here, you..." The vampire snarled as Ysmir and Serana started moving in to try and hold Atreus back just in case he was pushed far enough to kill him before Harkon raised his hand to stop the confrontation from escalating further.

"Stand down, Vingalmo...I'm sure our guest means well in voicing such a...fiery observation..." Harkon said simply, making the vampire, Vingalmo, give him a light nod before reluctantly returning to his post as Ysmir and Serana let out quiet sighs of relief while Atreus took a breath in order to collect himself, although there was still a part of him that wanted to give Harkon a piece of his mind.

"Now that we've settled that dispute, tell me...who are these strangers you have brought into our hall?" Harkon asked, although the tone in his voice made it sound more like a demand than a question as he looked between the two men and his daughter, who gave a brief nod before turning her attention to Atreus and Ysmir.

"These men are my saviors...the one's who freed me from my prison..." Serana answered simply as both men gave Harkon a light bow while the rest of the vampires questioned the claim among themselves, although when Atreus bowed, he kept his eyes forward and watched Harkon's every step as he approached them.

* * *

"For my daughter's safe return, you have my gratitude...and to learn that her safety was placed in such capable hands warms my heart." Harkon said contently, although both Atreus and Ysmir could tell that he was putting on for the sake of keeping things within his hall civil; regardless, they each gave him a content nod.

"It was the least we could do to make sure she made it home safe and sound, my lord." Ysmir said in a simple, civilized tone as Harkon looked between them and realized that this sentiment was genuine, but he couldn't help noticing that something in Atreus' eyes whenever he looked in Serana's direction suggested a little more than bringing her back out of common courtesy.

"I appreciate your manners, but it's not necessary...especially considering how honest your comrade has been concerning his opinion." Harkon said simply before looking to Atreus for a brief moment, who met his eyes with an icy stare that let the vampire lord know he wasn't threatened by him or whatever power he boasted.

"Oh, don't mind him...he's not really used to dealing with others and...has something of a soft spot for family values; it tends to strike a nerve whenever he feels like the sentiment isn't respected properly." Ysmir explained in a respectful tone, drawing Harkon's gaze back to him for a moment before he gave Atreus a brief nod in understanding; when Serana heard Ysmir's explanation for Atreus' outburst, her demeanor softened significantly, but she made sure it wasn't entirely noticeable.

"A truly underappreciated sentiment...and an admirable trait for any warrior worth his heart to possess." Harkon observed with a noticeable intrigue before Atreus gave him a light nod in agreement. "Now that, we can agree on..." He said in a dull tone that was meant to let Harkon know that he wasn't buying the act and had already seen through his façade, although the vampire lord chose to ignore this and took a moment before addressing them again.

"Ah, but, I've forgotten my manners...what are your names...?" He said in a simple, but genuinely curious tone as Atreus and Ysmir looked between each other before Atreus nodded for the Dragonborn to introduce himself first. "I'm Ysmir of Whiterun." Ysmir answered in a simple, respectful tone before nudging Atreus to let him know it was his turn, which made him give a light shrug before responding.

"Atreus...of Jötunheim." He said simply, causing Serana and Ysmir to study him with peaked curiosity when he mentioned 'Jötunheim' considering it was the first time they had ever heard the name, although at first, they figured he was most likely making it up, but when Serana noticed the look in his eyes when he said it, she wasn't so sure that was the case; it struck her as a name that had some sentimental meaning to him.

Harkon bowed his head lightly when Atreus and Ysmir introduced themselves. "I am Harkon, lord of this court...I assume that by now, my daughter has told you what we are." He said simply, earning a light nod from Ysmir while Atreus just ignored the observation and decided to hold his tongue for the moment considering he didn't have anything civil to say to the vampire lord.

"Aye, she told us that you're vampires." Ysmir states simply before Harkon let out a brief, amused chuckle when he heard the rather simple observation concerning his nature and that of his subjects, which made Atreus roll his eyes lightly when he noticed the vampire lord's arrogance and sense of superiority come to the surface again.

"Not just vampires...we are among the oldest and most powerful vampires in Skyrim...for centuries, we lived here far from the cares of the world; all that ended when my wife betrayed me and stole away that which I valued most." Harkon explained before Atreus stifled a rather disgusted scoff and shook his head lightly.

_'Great, another one of these pricks...' _Atreus thought to himself as he took a moment to maintain his reserve before looking to Harkon with a distinct indifference concerning who and what he was. "So what happens now...?" He asked dully, drawing the vampire lord's gaze to him for a moment.

"You have both done me a great service and now, must be rewarded...there is but one gift I can give that is equal in value to the Elder Scrolls and my daughter." Harkon began as Atreus clenched his fist again when he spoke as if the Elder Scroll had more value than his own child. "I offer you my blood...take it and you will walk as a lion among sheep...men will tremble at your approach and you will never fear death again." He finished, making Ysmir raise his eyebrow lightly as Atreus let out a dull, unamused chuckle at the claim.

"I'm a werewolf...what will happen if I accept your gift?" Ysmir asked simply, making a noticeably disgusted look form on Harkon's face while Serana just brushed his claim off and figured it explained why the Dragonborn smelled like a wet dog when he and Atreus found her.

"Yes, I can smell it on you...the power of my blood will purge you of that filth and make you whole again." Harkon said in a rather distasteful tone as Atreus felt a somewhat amused smirk tug at his lips when he saw how disgusted he was by Ysmir's lycanthropy.

"And if we refuse...?" Atreus asked simply as Harkon looked between them for a moment. "Then you will be banished...I will spare your life this once, but after that, you will be prey." He answered before uttering a somewhat twisted chuckle that seemed to completely reveal his madness.

"Perhaps you still need convincing...? Behold the power!" Harkon boasted before a dark magic shrouded his body and caused him to writhe for a moment, a display that made Serana avert her gaze briefly as her father let out a monstrous roar when his transformation finished. "This is the power that I offer! Now, make your choice." He declared, making Ysmir and Atreus look between each other for a moment.

* * *

"I've already made my choice...you go first." Atreus said in a simple, yet noticeably quick tone, making Ysmir give him a light nod before turning his attention back to Harkon. "I appreciate the offer, Lord Harkon...the power you wield it truly tempting...but, I believe I will have to humbly refuse your offer." Ysmir said simply, earning a light, disappointed snarl from Harkon in response.

"So be it...you are prey, like all mortals. I banish you!" Harkon declares before using his wings to float above the ground for a brief moment before a dark energy festers in his left hand, which he cast at Ysmir and used to transport him out of the castle; once the Dragonborn vanished, he turned his attention to Atreus, who wasn't impressed in the slightest.

"And you...?" Harkon asked simply as Serana followed her father's gaze to Atreus, the look in her eye suggesting that she hoped he didn't accept the offer considering that while she wasn't ashamed of her nature and the power she earned, she really didn't want to be responsible for condemning him to this fate; especially if it was by her father's hands.

Atreus looked to Serana long enough to see the look in her eyes and gave her a brief nod before turning his attention back to Harkon. "Far stronger beings than you already shutter at the mere mention of my name, 'Lord' Harkon...I don't need your power..." He answered coldly, earning an infuriated glare from Harkon as Serana let out a quiet sigh in relief.

"Then you are banished as well..." Harkon declared in an equally cold tone as he raised his hand to cast the same dark magic he used on Ysmir to cast Atreus out only for him to raise his hand and shake his head in order to stop him.

"Spare me the dramatic flair...I can show myself out." He said bluntly before turning his attention to Serana and meeting her eyes as he bowed his head to her respectfully. "Lady Serana, it was nice meeting you and I truly wish you the best, wherever your path leads you...take care of yourself." He said in a simple, noticeably friendlier tone as she gave him a brief, but soft smile, followed by a content nod.

"It was nice meeting you too...take care of yourself, Atreus." She said in a content, equally friendly tone that made a light smile tug at his lips as they reached out to shake hands. _"And be careful..." _Atreus mouthed to her when their fingers laced around each other's forearms, making her give him a reassuring look that let him know she would be fine before they reluctantly let go.

After a moment, Atreus turned and strolled out of the dining hall before making his way up the stairs leading to the castle's entryway then looked back briefly to see Serana's eyes following his movements, which made him give her another brief, subtle smile before turning his gaze forward and leaving the castle.

Once the castle doors opened again, the elderly watchman looked to Atreus for a moment before opening the gate so that he could leave and gave the young man a brief nod as he walked across the bridge where he found Ysmir sharpening his battle axe while he waited on his companion so that he could see what choice he made; upon noticing that he was still as human as he was when they met, the Dragonborn raised his eyebrow with a noticeable curiosity and surprise.

"Have to admit, I'm a bit surprised you didn't accept his offer..." Ysmir said simply as he stood and replaced the axe on his back before earning a light, casual shrug from Atreus. "Vampirism may sound like a tempting path to power for some, but not me...I can do enough damage without it." He explains simply, making Ysmir give him a light nod in understanding as they started making their way back to the boat.

"Fair answer, but the prospect of increasing your power isn't what I assumed would convince you to accept it..." Ysmir suggested before Atreus raised his eyebrow and studied him curiously when he thought on the observation for a moment.

"What are you getting at...?" Atreus asked in a dull, but curious tone, although after thinking on it a little more, he had a pretty good idea what he was talking about even though he didn't care anything about discussing it, especially considering they needed to focus on reporting back to Isran.

"Oh come on now, don't play dumb, I know you've developed a soft spot for Serana...you can keep trying to hide it all you want, but the way you've been acting with her around betrays you." Ysmir said simply as Atreus just watched him for a moment before letting out an amused laugh and shaking his head lightly.

"I think you had a little too much to drink back in Solitude...or took a few too many blows to the head in your lifetime." Atreus suggests in an amused and almost entertained tone, which made Ysmir give him an amused smirk before shaking his head lightly.

"Maybe, but that's beside the point...you've been much friendlier and more considerate with her than anyone else I've seen you deal with...you've even proven more than willing to put yourself in harm's way to keep her safe; not to mention the way you've been looking at her ever since we left Dimhollow." Ysmir points out in a noticeably witty tone, although Atreus didn't comment either way and took a moment to actually think on his behavior around her before Ysmir shook his head lightly.

"There's no shame in admitting that you care about someone, boy...it doesn't make you weak, either; if anything, the fact you even feel that way about her only proves that you have a strong heart and will go to impossible lengths to fight for what you hold dear. The strongest warriors are those who fight for what they hold dear regardless of the dangers and horrors thrown in their path." Ysmir states simply as Atreus just listened to what he said, but he still believed that even entertaining such feelings, whatever they turned out to be was a terrible idea; especially considering the lengths he went to after he lost everything and everyone he ever cared about.

Atreus shook his head lightly before responding. "What I think about her...whatever it maybe, it doesn't matter now...we brought her back to her home and her family like we said we would...which means the chances of us seeing her again are slim to none, so there's no point in talking about it, anyway..." He said simply before taking a quiet breath and letting it out with a brief sigh as Ysmir remained silent for the moment.

"Now that we've settled that, we should get moving...we still need to let Isran know what we found." Atreus adds simply before making his way to the boat as Ysmir gave him a light nod in agreement and follow him. "Aye, that we do..." He said simply before stepping into the boat and getting situated as Atreus pushed it off into the water, jumped in and started rowing back to the battered dock across from the island...

* * *

**Well, we've finally made it to the new chapter. Yay!**

**I'm not really going to be creative with this Author's Note, because I honestly can't think of anything to say concerning this one other than I hope y'all enjoy it even though it probably seems pretty damn corny. (Also, hope that it was at least worth the wait for those of ya who have been waiting for me to finish my damned, random revisions. haha)**

**So, on that note, I'll see all of ya, both returning and new readers when the next one's ready; not sure how long that one will take, because while I have a general idea of where and how I want to start it, I'm still trying to decide where I want it to go and how long I want it to be.**

**Okay, till the next one...**


	7. Chapter 7: Taking Initiative

Upon returning to the mainland and making their way back to Solitude, Atreus and Ysmir stopped by the harbor and scanned the map in order to find the quickest and least difficult path back to Riften so they would be able to carry on to Fort Dawnguard with minimal interference.

"So, our best bet is taking a boat to Windhelm and continuing to Riften from there...only thing we need to decide now is whether or not we go to Riften by carriage or just keep going on foot." Ysmir said simply as Atreus listened while he studied the map before giving him a light shrug.

"Taking the carriage from Windhelm would probably be faster, but I think we'd be able to leave on foot and still make it to Riften pretty fast if we forget about sleeping, but something tells me that won't be a problem for either of us." Atreus suggested simply before Ysmir looked to him, thought on the suggestion for a moment then gave him a content nod in agreement.

"Aye, good point...it'd probably save a few septims if we left Windhelm on foot, too." Ysmir said simply, making Atreus give him a light nod in agreement. "Sounds like a good enough reason in itself." Atreus said simply, earning a content chuckle from Ysmir.

"Hard to argue with that idea...especially if it means saving some coin." Ysmir said wittily as he folded his map, which led to both men rising from their chairs and preparing for the next leg of their journey. "Guess it's off to Windhelm, then." Atreus said simply, earning a light nod from Ysmir.

"Aye." He said simply as the two men made their way down the docks where the ferryman conducted his business before finally approaching the man. "Where you headed?" The man asked simply before Ysmir tossed him a small, but rather hefty coin purse. "Windhelm." He said simply, earning a content nod from the ferryman.

"Come aboard and we'll be off." He said simply as Atreus and Ysmir made their way onto the small, but sturdy rowboat, although before he situated himself in the boat, Atreus looked in the direction of Castle Volkihar, which he could still see rather well despite the distance and the fog shrouding the island itself.

Ysmir noticed this and lightly tapped Atreus on the shoulder, making him tense up like he was going for a weapon before he met the Dragonborn's gaze. "She'll be fine, Atreus..." Ysmir said simply, although Atreus took a moment to regain his reserve before finally giving the man a brief nod.

"I know...she can handle herself...just don't trust her father, especially after the 'welcoming party' he gave her." He said in a kind of dull tone before Ysmir gave him a light nod in understanding as it was kind of hard to argue with the observation after meeting Harkon for themselves.

In fact, Ysmir agreed with Atreus' sentiment and the distrust he held for Harkon considering he came to the same conclusion when they first met the vampire lord, a sentiment that was proven to be justified when he spoke with them directly; but he knew that Serana noticed this as well, especially considering how she acted when Atreus called her father out on his apparent lack of concern for her well being and figured that she may decide to seek them out if her father's madness ended up getting too far out of hand.

"Come on...let's go." Ysmir said simply as he sat down in the boat, earning a light nod from Atreus as he stared at the eerie castle a little longer. "Yeah..." He said simply before finally looking away and taking his seat across from the Dragonborn before the ferryman started rowing into the water en-route to Windhelm.

Once they reached Windhelm and made their way through the snow-covered city of stone, Atreus and Ysmir strolled through the wilds of Eastmarch with their sights set on the city of Riften. "So werewolf, huh...?" Atreus asked simply after a couple of hours of travel and contemplative silence.

"Aye...what about it?" Ysmir asked in a simple, but curious tone before Atreus gave him a light shrug in response. "Just doesn't seem like something a fabled hero of legend would allow themselves to accept...unless you really didn't have much of a choice and haven't found a cure, at least." He observed simply, making Ysmir think on the statement for a moment before giving him a shrug.

"Even the most celebrated and decorated heroes have their darker secrets that provide them with a significant advantage over their peers...you of all people should know that." Ysmir suggested before Atreus gave him a brief chuckle and shook his head lightly.

"I'm not a hero, Ysmir...definitely not a good example of what a hero should be." Atreus states simply as Ysmir just watched and listened to him for a moment. "And don't get me wrong, from what I've heard about lycanthropy, I can see the appeal and the advantages, but knowing someone who seems like they hold their Nordic traditions in such high regard using power that would go against those traditions...it's just a bit of a surprise..." He explained simply, making Ysmir think on it before letting out a light chuckle and giving a brief nod.

"Aye, I see your point...but, to be fair, it's not a subject that's brought up very often." Ysmir said in a kind of witty tone, making Atreus give him a light nod in understanding. "Yeah, fair enough...sounds like it'd be a pretty entertaining conversation to listen in on, though." He said simply, earning a light laugh from Ysmir as he shook his head lightly.

"Tell you what, if I ever decide to have that conversation with anybody else, I'll let you know so that you can eavesdrop and see their reaction for yourself." Ysmir said with an amused chuckle before Atreus let out a light, amused laugh of his own.

"Might have to take you up on it..." Atreus said simply as they made their way through the mountain path that connected Eastmarch to the forests of the Rift with both men laughing at the amusing idea of Ysmir actually sitting someone down and admitting that he was one of Hircine's hounds even if it was an event that was only done for their own personal amusement.

* * *

After arriving in Riften and stopping by Ysmir's home long enough for the Dragonborn to replace the divine sword he used in Dimhollow on the weapon rack that he used to display it and placing the crossbow and any remaining bolts in a chest at the foot of his bed, the two men left the city and continued down the path leading to Fort Dawnguard.

"Alright, so I told you a few things about myself, now it's your turn..." Ysmir said simply before Atreus uttered a light, dull chuckle before shaking his head lightly. "Still trying to get to know me...?" He asked simply, earning a light shrug from Ysmir in response.

"Might as well...especially considering how long we've been traveling together coupled with the fact you now know more about me than I know about you." Ysmir suggested simply, which made Atreus think on the observation for a moment before letting out a brief sigh then nodding in agreement. "Yeah, fair enough...couldn't argue with that one even if I wanted to." Atreus said in a slightly duller tone before Ysmir shrugged lightly and watched him for a moment.

"Tell you what...tell me the story behind that axe and I won't bother you about your past until you actually feel like talking about it." He said simply, making Atreus consider the suggestion for a moment before giving him a light nod as he pulled Leviathan from his back and studied the weapon; however, he had no intention of telling him the entire story for the time being.

"All I know is that it was made using ancient and long forgotten magic...a lot of what you've seen it do is connected to the runes going down the length of the blade; some stories suggest that it was imbued with the breath of twenty frost trolls and was made to rival or even surpass one of the most powerful weapons in the realms...which was used to slaughter an entire civilization...the smiths who made that weapon forged this as a means of redeeming their tarnished honor." Atreus explained simply and with a noticeable sentiment in his tone as Ysmir listened to the story with intrigue and fascination.

"Does it have a name...? A weapon with a story like that surely has a name attached to it." Ysmir asked curiously before earning a light nod in confirmation from Atreus. "Leviathan." He answered simply as Ysmir continued to study the axe before giving him a content nod.

"Sounds like a fitting name...where did you get it...?" Ysmir asked simply, although his curiosity was still at the forefront, but Atreus didn't answer right away considering the damage from losing everything he ever loved was still fresh and how that damage had turned most of his memories of his past life into nightmares.

"Family heirloom..." Atreus answered dully as he propped the axe on his shoulder, something that Ysmir took as a sign to leave the subject alone and made him give a brief nod before the two men went silent again. As they made their way along the path and approached the bridge where they first encountered each other, a gray-skinned elven man dressed in leather armor that was adorned with a hood drew a pair of daggers then stepped in their path with his dark red eyes locked on the two warriors.

"Alright, hand over your valuables or I'll gut you like a fish." The highwayman demanded in a tone that was clearly meant to intimidate the men only for Atreus to roll his eyes unamused as he tightened the grip on his axe just in case the thief decided to do something stupid before Ysmir stepped in between them.

"You really don't want to do that, friend...it won't end well..." Ysmir warned the thief, who simply shook his warning off like it was nothing more than a hollow threat from a fool who couldn't defend himself. "Nice try, but you don't scare me...I won't ask again." The thief taunted, which made Ysmir let out a brief sigh before walking forward without another word as he knew that Atreus would most likely deal with the thief if he tried anything.

Once Ysmir walked forward, Atreus followed him after shoving the highwayman out of his way with his eyes forward, although he kept his senses open just in case the thief was actually stupid enough to try and attack them; the thief was infuriated by their attempts to refuse his demands and tightened his grip on his daggers.

"Don't you walk away from me!" The thief shouts before rushing towards the duo with his daggers raised and aimed for their throats only for Atreus to turn, raise his axe in a seemingly defensive stance then cast a beam of ice from the weapon that slowly, but steadily froze the highwayman solid until one of the daggers stopped barely an inch from his throat.

The commotion caused Ysmir to turn around just in time to see Atreus lower Leviathan and leave a frozen statue in the highwayman's place before replacing the axe on his back and turning to continue down the path with a subtle blue-green shimmer in his eyes for a moment before they faded back to their usual ice blue, which made him raise his eyebrow curiously, but he chose not to question it.

"Shouldn't we do something about that...?" Ysmir asked simply, making Atreus look back to the frozen highwayman before giving the Dragonborn a light shrug in response. "I don't think he'll be going anywhere...much less bothering anyone else." He said simply as he strolled forward, making Ysmir look between him and the thief for a moment before just shrugging it off and turning to catch up with Atreus.

Before long, Atreus and Ysmir made it back to Dayspring Canyon and strolled through the cavern without delay as they continued along the path leading to the fort itself, although the further they walked along the path, the more they both felt like something wasn't right, which made Ysmir subtly sniff the air in order to confirm any suspicions.

"We've got company..." Ysmir said quickly as he rushed up the path with Atreus hot on his heels until they made it to a simple log wall and a wooden gate that blocked their path before Ysmir quickly pushed it open as he drew his sword while Atreus drew his blades, neither one of them missing a step the entire time.

When they made their way up the hill and around the turn leading to the fort, they were greeted by Isran and a few other Dawnguard members fighting off a group of vampires that had somehow slipped past their defenses.

After cutting a vampire down with his axe, the man who greeted Atreus and Ysmir upon their arrival to the fort looked up just in time to see another fire an ice spike at him, which he deflected with his shield only for the creature to strike him with lightning and stagger him long enough to start draining his lifeforce, which he managed to resist for awhile until the combination of the vampire's magic and his slight fatigue started taking its toll and weakening him.

When the vampire drew his blade and started closing in to finish his opponent off, Atreus threw one of his blades at the creature then listened to him scream when the fiery weapon bit into his flesh before pulling him in long enough for Ysmir to separate his head from his shoulders before Atreus caught his weapon then rip it out of the headless corpse, which gave the man plenty of time to regain himself.

* * *

The man quickly recovered from the attack and cleaved his axe into another vampire's side before Isran closed in while an aura of sunlight shielded him from any of the creatures who tried to ambush him then shattered the creature's leg with his hammer as his comrade ripped his axe out of its side so that Isran could bring the hammer down on its ribs then crack it in the head and finish it off.

At this point, Ysmir had made his way into the fray and was fighting off three vampires, one of which he skewered with his sword before shield bashing the second in order to stun it as the third lunged at him only for the Dragonborn to catch it on his shield then send it flying towards Atreus, who caught it with one of his blades and pulled it to him before plunging the second through its body then use them to slice it in half; as the mangled pieces of the creature's corpse fell at Atreus' feet, Ysmir ripped his sword out of the first vampire while the second recovered only to have the Dragonborn's blade plunged through its ribs to finish it off.

Isran and the red haired man who watched the doors to the fort had just finished off another set of vampires, although the two Dawnguard agents were so caught up in the carnage that Isran didn't notice another sneaking up behind him with a dagger raised and ready to plunge into his back; upon seeing this, Atreus cut the creature's legs out from under it as it's agonized screams caught Isran's attention and caused him to turn and splatter its head with his hammer while Atreus pulled the fiery blade back to him.

As soon as the smoke cleared, Atreus and Ysmir approached Isran as everyone sheathed their weapons while the Dawnguard leader scanned the vampire corpses before shaking his head lightly and looking to them. "Look at this...I should have known it was only a matter of time before they found us; it's the price we pay for openly recruiting...we'll have to step up our defenses." He said in a noticeably disappointed and frustrated tone.

"You should have already done something about that..." Atreus muttered before Ysmir elbowed him in the side as Isran studied them for a moment, his eyes lingering on Atreus for a moment when he did. Even though the Dawnguard leader didn't have the patience for his sarcasm at the moment, he really couldn't argue with the observation, so he begrudgingly chose to ignore it before moving on to the status quo.

"I don't suppose you have any good news for me...?" Isran asked simply, although he already had a pretty good hunch that they didn't before earning a shrug from Ysmir. "Not exactly, no..." Ysmir began simply, earning a light, frustrated sigh from Isran when he heard the answer. "Should've known that was too much to hope for...alright, tell me what you know." He said simply before noticing that both Ysmir and Atreus seemed to be thinking on their answer for a moment, which told him that he most likely wouldn't like whatever they had to say.

"The vampires were after a woman who was trapped in Dimhollow...locked up in some elaborate tomb that was guarded by some form of ancient magic." Ysmir explained simply, making Isran raise his eyebrow curiously as he processed the information for a moment before shaking his head lightly.

"A woman...? Trapped in there? That doesn't make any sense...who is she...and more importantly, where is she...?" Isran asked in a noticeably more urgent tone before Ysmir hesitated briefly then turned his attention to Atreus as he wasn't sure if he would appreciate his telling him about Serana or the fact she was a vampire.

"She wanted to go back to her home...an island off of the coast of Solitude, which turned out being full of vampires...we're not sure if the residents have always been like that or if it was a recent development, but she claims that they are...or at least 'were' her family." Atreus explained simply as Ysmir raised his eyebrow lightly when he noticed how easy it was for him to stretch the truth like he did while Isran studied him suspiciously for a moment.

"And you delivered her right to them...? Whatever her past with them, if they've embraced vampirism then they're not her family anymore...and who's to say she wasn't one herself...?" Isran suggested in a simple, but noticeably irritated tone before earning a light shrug from Atreus.

"Whatever her connection to the lot or her own condition, she didn't act like she was very eager to trust us until we escorted her home...figured it was the only way to get more information on what we're dealing with..." Atreus states bluntly as Isran kept studying him before giving a reluctant nod in understanding. Even though he didn't really agree with the decision to agree to escort some strange woman buried in a tomb to an island ruled by vampires, especially with the distinct possibility that she maybe one herself, he couldn't exactly argue with Atreus' reasoning behind it.

"So what's the bad news...?" Isran asked before Atreus looked to Ysmir, making the Dragonborn take a breath as he knew that Isran wouldn't like the answer at all. "They have an Elder Scroll..." He answered simply, making Isran scowl at them with a mix of surprise and fury for a moment.

"They what?!" He started before taking a moment to recollect his reserve again. "And you didn't stop them...you didn't secure the scroll?" He asked in a calmer, but still relatively angry tone, making Atreus narrow his eyes and glare at him before speaking.

"It was too well guarded...they had it under tight lock and key and in a spot where the entire brood could have intervened if we tried to snatch it out from under them; and considering how paranoid their patriarch was, we didn't have a good enough opening to get anywhere near it...we're damn lucky we even got a good look at it." He states in a noticeably cold tone, making Ysmir give a light nod in confirmation as Isran looked between them before letting out a brief, frustrated sigh.

"I suppose you're lucky you're not dead...or worse, one of them..." Isran said simply as he pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head lightly. "By the Divines...this couldn't get much worse...this is more than the three of us can handle..." He said irritably as Atreus raised his eyebrow lightly.

"Well, I hope somebody has a backup plan...because I don't believe in surrender and if you two give up on me, I'll storm the island by myself..." He states bluntly, making Isran and Ysmir look at him for a moment before the Dawnguard leader looked to the Dragonborn. "Is he serious...?" He asked in a dull, unamused, but curious tone before Ysmir gave him a light shrug in response.

"Honestly, I wouldn't put it past him...but, he has a point, we need to do something and working together is our best bet." Ysmir said simply before Isran looked to Atreus again for a moment then turned his attention back to Ysmir. "Well, of course we do...I'm old, not stupid...we're going to need some more help." He said in a simple tone, making both Atreus and Ysmir give him a content nod.

* * *

"If they're bold enough to attack us here, then this maybe bigger than I thought...I have good men here, but..." Isran said simply before taking a brief pause as Ysmir and Atreus just listened quietly and waited for him to make his point. "There are people I've met and worked with over the years, we need their skills, their talents if we're going to survive this...if you two can find them, then we might stand a chance." He finished after a moment, making the two men give him a light shrug.

"So, who are we looking for and where can we find them...?" Atreus asked in a simple tone as he and Ysmir wait for his response before Isran looked between them for a moment. "Both of you get right to the point, don't you...? I like that...not like those fools in the order." He said simply before looking to Atreus for a moment. "You just have more of an attitude, though...might want to work on that." He adds simply, making Atreus let out a brief and somewhat amused scoff.

"My attitude and lack of tolerance for someone else's shit just helped save your ass when one of those vampires tried to plunge a knife in your back...and this is nothing compared to how I used to be..." Atreus states simply, making Isran narrow his eyes briefly before Ysmir gave the man a light nod to confirm his observation.

"I can vouch for him there...you should have seen him when we met the vampire lord who ruled that island; I'm surprised he didn't rip the man's head off and honestly, if it wasn't for me and the woman we found in Dimhollow, he probably would have." Ysmir said simply as Isran listened to the Dragonborn's observation before looking to Atreus again then letting out a brief and somewhat amused chuckle.

"Hmph...in that case, I guess your attitude problem could prove useful." He said simply before clearing his throat and getting back to the matter at hand. "As I was saying, we should keep it small...too many people and we'll draw unwanted attention to ourselves...I think we'll want Sorine Jurard, Breton girl, whip smart and good with tinkering...fascination with the Dwemer, weapons in particular; last I knew, she was out in the Reach...convinced she was about to find the biggest Dwarven ruins, yet." He began simply as Atreus and Ysmir memorized the name and location.

"She'll help us?" Ysmir asked simply, earning a light nod in confirmation from Isran. "Might need a little convincing, but she should...you'll also want to find Gunmar, big brute of a Nord, hates vampires almost as much as I do...got it into his head years back that his experience with animals would help; trolls in particular from what I hear." He continued simply, making an amused smirk tug at Atreus' lip when he heard the idea.

"Fun...where's he hiding?" Atreus said in an amused tone as he and Ysmir wait for Isran to give them the man's location. "Last I knew, he was out scouring Skyrim for more beasts to tame...bring the two of them back here and we can get started on coming up with a plan." He answered simply, making them both give him a brief nod in understanding.

"Sounds like we have our work cut out for us, Atreus...let's get started." Ysmir said simply as he turned his attention to his comrade only to find that he was already making his way down the path leading away from the fort before looking back to Isran and the Dragonborn. "You coming, Ysmir? We've got work to do." He called out simply, making Isran study him for a moment before shaking his head lightly and looking to Ysmir.

"Where in Stendarr's name did you find him...?" Isran asked in a curious tone before Ysmir gave him a light shrug in response. "Ran into him on the way here, actually...while he was butchering a group of vampires that tried to ambush him; if I hadn't already known they were up to no good, I probably would have felt sorry for them." He explained simply, making Isran raise his eyebrow curiously when he heard the observation before Ysmir shook his head a bit.

"Long story, might fill you in when we get back with Sorine and Gunmar if you're interested." He said simply, earning a light nod from the Dawnguard leader before he turned and made his way back into the fort as Ysmir caught up to Atreus so that they could get started on their recruiting mission.

As they made their way down the path towards the cavern leading out, Atreus and Ysmir scanned the area surrounding them just in case there happened to be another group of vampires waiting to ambush them or any other Dawnguard members who happened to be passing through. "So, who should we look for first...?" Ysmir asked simply before Atreus gave him a light shrug in response.

"I think our best bet would be tracking Gunmar down first since we really don't have a general idea where to find him...might be better to get the longer and more difficult search out of the way then save the easy part for last, you know?" He suggested simply, making Ysmir think on the suggestion for a moment before giving him a light nod in agreement.

"Good point...it maybe a longer trip to the Reach, but at least we know for sure that Sorine's there..." Ysmir said simply as they continued along the path with their eyes still scanning the area for any signs of trouble. "So, find out where Gunmar is, track him down and send him this way, go to the Reach and find Sorine then sent her here and make the round trip back..." He added simply, earning a light nod from Atreus.

"Right...sounds like the best way to do it." Atreus said simply, making Ysmir give a contend nod in agreement as they approached the cavern leading back into the Rift. "Alright, let's go find Gunmar and work from there, then." Ysmir said simply as they left Dayspring Canyon and prepared to track down Gunmar so they could get their recruiting mission over with...

* * *

**Okay, sorry this one took so long to get done, but I ran into a few blocks in places and ended up procrastinating a little bit; terrible combination. lol**

**Anyway, here's Chapter 7, sorry if the quality's kind of lack luster compared to the rest of them, but hopefully it's decent enough to at least keep y'all satisfied until the next one's done.**

**See y'all next time and I'll try not to take as long with the next one as I did with this one and hopefully, it'll be much better in comparison since this one is more of an 'exposition' chapter than anything.**

**Till next time...**


	8. Chapter 8: Recruiting

After making their way out of Dayspring Canyon, Atreus and Ysmir made their way to Riften and started asking around to see if anyone had seen any sign of a man named Gunmar, but so far, it seemed like no one knew anything about the man or his location; which proved to be a bit frustrating for both men as it told them just how difficult tracking him down would actually be.

"You know, you'd think somebody with Gunmar's reputation would be a lot easier to find..." Atreus said dully as he and Ysmir made their way out of the city, earning a light shrug from the Dragonborn. "Maybe he doesn't frequent the cities as much as we do...either that, or he doesn't want to be found." Ysmir suggested simply, earning a light shrug from Atreus.

"True, but still...as much as he apparently does for the locals, how would he collect his reward if he didn't visit the cities on a regular basis...and even then, how would anybody be able to miss him?" Atreus suggested, his tone still noticeably dull as Ysmir thought on the observation for a moment.

"Good point...kind of hard to miss a 'big brute of a Nord', even in Skyrim...unless he possesses a lot more guile than his supposedly brutish size would suggest." Ysmir said in a simple, but curious tone as they approached the stables while Atreus thought on his comrade's observation.

"Can't really argue with that...I guess you'd have to be damned stealthy when you deal with animals on a regular basis." Atreus said simply before they made their way to the carriage driver in the hopes that maybe he had seen Gunmar during his travels.

"Can I help you?" The man asked curiously as he turned his attention to the two men, making Ysmir step forward. "Have you seen a man named Gunmar lately...? Big brute of a Nord, fascination with animals, most likely dressed like a mercenary?" Ysmir asked simply, making the carriage driver think for a moment before giving the Dragonborn a light shrug.

"I've seen a man matching that description recently...never caught his name, so I can't guarantee that he's the one you're looking for, but last I heard, he was headed towards Ivarstead…" The carriage driver explained simply as Atreus studied him for a moment in order to figure out if he was lying or not before Ysmir gave him a content nod.

"Sounds like a good start, at least...thank you for letting us know." Ysmir said in a content tone, earning a light nod from the carriage driver. "You're most welcome, Dragonborn...I wish the two of you the best of luck in your search." The man said simply as both Ysmir and Atreus gave him a nod before making their way down the path leading away from Riften and heading in the direction of Ivarstead.

Upon arriving in the humble hamlet situated at the foot of the Throat of the World, Atreus and Ysmir didn't waste any time in asking about Gunmar's whereabouts and were soon directed to a cave on the other side of the bridge and situated on the path leading right at the fork separating this path from the one leading up the seven thousand steps to High Hrothgar.

"Well, that's convenient..." Atreus said with a shrug as he and Ysmir made their way to the bridge and casually strolled across it. Once they were on the other side, Atreus looked to the left at the stone steps leading up the side of the mountain before looking back to Ysmir. "You walked up all of these steps...?" He asked curiously, making the Dragonborn look back to him the glancing at the steps before giving Atreus a light nod in confirmation.

"Aye, but I think folks kind of overestimate how many steps there really are...but, I haven't counted them or even met anybody who has, so I don't know." Ysmir said with a shrug, earning an amused chuckle from Atreus.

"Yeah, can't really say I blame you...maybe it just feels like seven thousand and somebody decided that was just the best thing to call them..." Atreus suggested simply, making Ysmir laugh lightly and nod in agreement. "I can definitely understand the sentiment...it didn't give me too much trouble, but it's a damn good climb." He said with a chuckle as he continued down the path leading to the cave Gunmar was supposedly investigating with Atreus close behind him.

When they reached the cave, the two men noticed a big, brutish Nord with red hair and a thick beard wearing a similar suit of armor to Ysmir's choice of attire, but with what looked to be a goat's pelt draped over the left pauldron with a war axe in his hand standing at the mouth of the lair.

"I think we found him." Atreus said in a rather casual tone as he and Ysmir approached the man, who looked back at them as soon as he realized that someone was at his back, which caused him to study the two warriors with curiosity and caution as they approached.

"Gunmar?" Ysmir asked curiously when he and Atreus were close enough to speak with him without having to raise their voices, only for the big brute of a man to raise his left arm to stop them from going any further, although it was more a gesture of warning than one of threat.

* * *

"You there, hold fast! I've tracked this damned bear for weeks; I'll not let it claim anymore victims." Gunmar said in a quick tone, his accent being very thick and distinguished compared to other Nords, thicker than Ysmir's even, but the Dragonborn's accent held traces of his knowledge and prowess with the draconic tongue whenever he spoke while Gunmar's was simply a much thicker Nordic dialect.

Atreus stifled an amused chuckle when the man warned them about the bear before he approached, even towering over the brute of a Nord before him who stood just short of his chin. "We can handle bears easily, Gunmar...but, we can worry about that later; my friend and I are here on business." He explained with a simple, but somewhat witty tone before Gunmar raised his eyebrow lightly and studied Atreus curiously for a moment before turning his attention to Ysmir.

"Alright, I'm listening..." Gunmar said simply, his eyes still moving between the two men for a moment as Ysmir stepped forward and took a light breath before speaking. "Isran sent us...he needs your help." He said simply, making Gunmar look between the two men like they had each literally grown a second head, had wings growing out of their backs or tendrils creeping out of their eyes; if not a combination of all three things.

"Isran? Needing someone else's help...? Never thought I'd hear that." Gunmar said in a calm, but noticeably surprised tone as he studied the two men for a moment before shaking his head lightly. "I'm afraid he's a few years too late...I've moved on, have more important business to attend to; besides, he can handle anything alone, he assured me so himself. What could he possibly need my help with?" He added, making Atreus snicker in amusement when he heard how Isran personally assured this man that he could handle anything alone and how ironic it was that he was the one practically begging him for help now.

"Why do I feel like that claim's going to bite him in the ass with a vengeance before this is all over...?" Atreus said with a highly amused wit lacing his tone that made it difficult for Ysmir to keep a straight face before he finally elbowed his companion in the side and shook his head, causing Atreus to roll his eyes as a subtle smirk played across his lips.

Ysmir cleared his throat and managed to collect himself enough to answer Gunmar's question. "We're up against vampires." He said after a moment, still holding back a chuckle as he tried to ignore Atreus' sarcastic observation long enough to fill Gunmar in on the details concerning the vampire menace.

"Vampires? That...well, that might change things; tell me more about what's going on." Gunmar inquired in a curious and noticeably concerned, cautious tone as Ysmir opened his mouth to answer him until Atreus beat him to the punch. "Oh, they're just openly butchering people, kidnapping priests who think they're monster hunters and playing with an Elder Scroll." He answered in a sarcastically dull tone before Ysmir shook his head lightly while Gunmar studied them both with a newfound sense of urgency slipping through his reserve.

"By the Eight..." The brutish looking Nord gasped with a noticeable shock as Atreus fought the urge to roll his eyes when the man mentioned the Gods, something that both men noticed and while Ysmir had grown used to it, Gunmar was noticeably confused by the young man's apparent disgust with the comment; however, he simply wrote it off as Atreus being a Talos worshipper who was bitter over the banning of his worship.

"All right, look...I'll consider it, but I can't just leave this bear here to prey on innocent people; once it's dealt with, then perhaps I'll see what Isran expects of me." Gunmar said simply, making Ysmir give a light nod in understanding. "We'll help you deal with the bear; anything to help out. Ready, A...?" He started before looking to Atreus only to learn that he had seemingly vanished, which made both men look around for him until they noticed the young man already strolling into the cave mouth without hesitation only to vanish once more within the shadows shrouding the lair from the outside world.

This made the two men look between each other for a moment as a perplexed expression found its way onto Gunmar's face. "Where did Isran find him...?" He asked in a curious, but noticeably surprised and confused tone only for Ysmir to give the man a light chuckle. "Funny, Isran asked me the same thing earlier." He said in a noticeably amused tone, making Gunmar raise his eyebrow lightly before shrugging it off and approaching the cave with the Dragonborn following his every step.

After entering the cave and catching up to Atreus, Ysmir and Gunmar would learn that the bear who had been attacking people was a family of three bears, which made Gunmar look between the creatures with concern as he knew as well as anyone else that three bears holed up this close to a village wasn't something that could be left unchecked.

Upon realizing that the bears hadn't noticed them yet, Gunmar quietly made his way behind a nearby rock and crouched down while Ysmir crouched and crept forward to where he was positioned between Gunmar and Atreus, who was casually leaned against the natural archway leading into the heart of the cave with his bow drawn and an arrow at the ready.

* * *

"Looks like we get our pick of the lot." Atreus said with a simple, but low tone so that he wouldn't disturb the beasts, earning a light nod from Ysmir as the three men watched the bears closely so they could find a good opening to strike.

Gunmar watched the bears for a moment before turning his attention to Atreus and Ysmir. "So, how do we want to do this...I assume we're each more than capable of killing one by ourselves, but how do we want to separate them...?" He asked in a low, curious tone as Atreus gave a light, nonchalant shrug in response.

"I can distract them so you and Ysmir have a good opening to get in, pick your prey and take them out...just strafe along the wall, wait for my signal and watch yourselves; don't want you getting caught in the crossfire." He explained in an almost casual tone, making both Ysmir and Gunmar watch him curiously with their eyebrows raised before shrugging the young man's apparent casual nature as they started creeping through the shadows along the wall like they were asked.

When they were in a safer and more strategic position, Atreus raised his bow, pulling the arrow back the entire time, took a breath then prepared to loose it as he imbued the projectile with his intended choice of magic. "Úlfr Hlaup!" He cried before loosing a light-laced arrow at the trio of bears, causing it to explode into a pack of spectral wolves formed from the same light imbued into the arrow that lunged at the bears, each one exploding on impact and filling the cave with light that seemed to disorient and stun the bears and would have stunned the three warriors if they hadn't been fast enough to think about covering their eyes.

As the bears groaned in discomfort and pain during their attempts to get their senses back, Atreus, Ysmir and Gunmar charged forward, each one picking a bear then attacking while the beasts blindly swiped at them with furious roars, although each man proved victorious as their weapons cleaved their way through the bears' thick skulls.

When the beasts fell, the three men pulled their weapons from the fresh carcasses before Gunmar turned his attention to Atreus and Ysmir. "Don't know how well I would have been able to handle that by myself, you have my thanks." He began, earning a light nod from both men as they each collected themselves. "You've helped me, so I suppose the least I can do is see what Isran wants...he's still at that fort near Stendarr's Beacon, I assume?" He explained, making Ysmir raise his eyebrow a bit before giving a brief nod.

"You know the place, then?" He asked simply before Gunmar gave him a brief nod in confirmation. "I do...if Isran's anything, he's stubborn...he's been working on the place for years, now, never lets anyone in; his own little fortress." He answered before letting out a brief sigh then looking to the men again. "Well, I guess I'll get to see what he's been up to all this time...I'll meet you there." He said simply before turning to leave the cave, which led the Dragonborn to turn his attention to Atreus just in time to see the young man place his hand on one of the beast's forehead and lower his head for a few moments then turning away as he placed Leviathan on his back.

"Atreus?" Ysmir called out to the man only to be met with silence as the Dragonborn's comrade turned his icy gaze to him, a noticeable solemnness to his gaze as he strolled forward. "You alright, boy?" He asked again with noticeable concern, his eyes not leaving Atreus as he gave a brief shrug and seemed to quietly contemplate something, his eyes remaining forward the whole time.

"They didn't want to resort to attacking these people...desperation for food and shelter led them here when winter settled in completely; they thought it would be their best chance, even with the threat of retaliation." Atreus said in a dull tone, making Ysmir study him curiously before averting his gaze to the now dead bears then looking back to him with a steadily growing curiosity.

"You have a way with animals, don't you...?" Ysmir asked, his intrigue and curiosity lining his tone with every word as while there were many mages in the land who had learned to charm animals and even communicate to some extent, the level of talent Atreus displayed in this field was especially rare, for a mortal who wasn't gifted with some form of divine power, at least.

"I can get an idea of what they're thinking, yeah...it's complicated." Atreus said in a simple, but still noticeably dull tone with his eyes locked on the path ahead and his pace showing no signs of slowing as Ysmir kept studying him for a few moments as he thought on his response. Even though the Dragonborn knew that there was more to this man than he let on or even cared to talk about, he couldn't help noticing certain patterns, talents and overall capabilities that told him the man's nature most likely went deeper than he originally considered.

"When did you realize you had this talent...?" Ysmir asked simply in the hopes of maybe narrowing down where his extraordinary talents and prowess came from, although considering how closed off Atreus was, he had a feeling he wouldn't receive the answers he was hoping for. Atreus took a few moments to consider whether or not he actually wanted to answer the question considering it made him think back to his youth, when he first learned that he was a God and how excited he was upon hearing the revelation; it all seemed so ironic now that he had grown and realized what his father meant when he told him how life as a God could be one of anguish and tragedy, a curse that often seemed to inflict those of divine blood in some form.

"I was a child...don't know how old I was when I actually realized it, though..." Atreus finally answered after a moment, making Ysmir give him a light nod in understanding as he caught up to him. "I guess now we need to find Sorine in the Reach..." He added after taking a moment to recollect his reserve, keeping his eyes forward and his pace steady as he spoke.

"Aye. It's going to be a long journey, though...the Reach is practically on the other side of Skyrim." Ysmir confirmed as they made their way out of the cave. "Our best bet maybe going around the mountains on foot to Whiterun, taking a carriage to Markarth from there then searching the wilds." He suggested simply, making Atreus think on the Dragonborn's words for a moment before finally giving a silent nod in agreement.

* * *

Atreus and Ysmir would reach Whiterun after dusk before paying the local carriage driver to Markarth so they could begin their search for Sorine in the Reach; for the most part, the journey itself seemed quite uneventful, but as soon as they crossed over into the Reach itself, something in the air seemed to change in a way that suggested danger could literally be around any corner.

"Guess it's always like this, huh?" Atreus suggested in a simple tone, making Ysmir look to him curiously after they spent this much of the journey in relative silence, which really didn't bother the Dragonborn as much as it did upon first meeting the man considering he was starting to figure out his habits and realized he had a lot on him he didn't care to talk about.

"What?" Ysmir asked, although considering he already knew the feeling that the Reach gave off, he more or less answered his own question, but at the same time, it was possible that he had grown more used to it than Atreus; or perhaps even Atreus could notice it more than anyone else given that he was clearly more gifted than he admitted to. Upon hearing his inquiry, Atreus simply motioned at the landscape surrounding them as a way of letting him know he was referring to the region.

"This place, the Reach...it seems like every time I come here, it feels off...it's like the land itself is..." Atreus paused briefly as he tried to think of the best way to describe what he felt from this place, mentally comparing it to a sickness or some form of infection born of a corrupt influence. Ysmir quickly picked up on what the man was trying to describe and gave a brief nod in understanding.

"Sickly? Corrupt? Plagued by darkness?" Ysmir suggested in the hopes of helping Atreus's explanation along, making him look to the Dragonborn again before giving a light nod in confirmation given how accurate the description was and the fact it let him know that his companion had noticed it, too.

"Exactly." He answered, earning another nod from the Dragonborn who studied the land around them for a few moments before speaking. "There was a lot of blood spilled here, plenty of dark rituals practiced and probably countless evil deeds performed...it all left its mark on the land in one form or another." Ysmir explained simply with Atreus listening intently as his icy blue eyes scanned the land around them as the night began to shroud it in its embrace.

"Hmm...might have to look into some of those stories sometime..." Atreus said with a brief shrug, causing Ysmir to study him briefly before a thought popped into his head. "I have some books telling these stories somewhere...if we pass by there, I'll let you borrow them." He said simply, making Atreus look to the man with a noticeable intrigue as he thought on the offer for a moment.

"Thanks." He said in a content and appreciative tone, making Ysmir give him a light nod in response as things started to grow silent again, causing both men to start looking around in order to make sure there wasn't any trouble close to them.

A few hours into the journey, the carriage started approaching a miner's home that was built just off of the road leading to Markarth, but upon closer inspection, Atreus and Ysmir noticed that the place was swarmed with men and women clad in furs that looked to be ragged from a lifetime in the wilds with the headpieces worn by the men being adorned with antlers and the women having a noticeable lack of coverage from their clothes.

"Forsworn..." Ysmir muttered under his breath before tapping the carriage driver on the shoulder to make him stop, causing the man to pull back on the reins then look back at the Dragonborn. "This is a good spot to drop us off...we'll be able to handle these guys and don't want to put you in any danger." He told the man simply, causing him to look back at the savage looking Reachmen then back at Atreus and Ysmir before giving a brief nod.

"Aye, that maybe a good idea...I wish you both the best of luck." He told them simply as the two men each gave him a nod then stepped down from the carriage and strolled around it while the driver started turning it around so he could find a safe place to rest for the night before heading back to Whiterun, part of him wondering in the back of his mind if leaving these men alone with a group of Forsworn ahead of them was really the best idea.

As the carriage left, Atreus and Ysmir studied the Forsworn from a distance to try and get a general idea of how many there were, their fighting style and their best strategy for taking them down; for the most part, it looked like there were at least five guarding the mine, with one of the men having his chest bare and an obvious hole where his heart should be, but in its place was what looked like a thorn covered flower.

Something told the men there were most likely more, which made the Dragonborn inhale like he was getting ready to use a Thu'um while Atreus simply scanned the area more, noticing a emaciated, bird like, feminine figure accompanying the Forsworn.

"LAAS YAH NIR!" Ysmir spoke, however this shout came out as a whisper as the man's eyes gave off a brief red glimmer before he started scanning the area almost like he could see through the very rocks around them. "There's a few more on the other side of the bridge...four at most." He said simply as he turned his gaze back to Atreus, quickly noticing that his gaze was locked on something ahead of them, which caused him to follow his companion's gaze until he noticed the bird like creature.

"And a Hagraven…" Ysmir added simply with this revelation as Atreus quietly pulled his bow and notched an arrow, his eyes steadily scanning for a mark as Ysmir adjusted his position and quietly conjured the ethereal bow he used against the dragon, glancing to Atreus for a moment as he prepared to fire, giving the man a nod when he was ready.

* * *

"Þruma!" Atreus cried before loosing a lightning laced arrow and striking the Hagraven, causing the creature to convulse and writhe with pained shrieks as the lightning surged through her before the Forsworn warriors turned their attention to their attackers, the man with the barbed plant in his chest stepping forward first then drawing his sword.

"The Reach belongs to the Forsworn!" He cried before charging them and summoning a Fire Atronach to help cover him while his comrades followed him into the fray, zig zagging along the path in the hopes of catching the men off-guard and overwhelming them.

As the Reachmen charged, with one of them moving off to the side and pulling a bow to pelt them with arrows as the Flame Atronach cast firebolts at them, Atreus and Ysmir returned fire before eventually taking out the archer with an ethereal arrow gliding through the man's knee and bringing him down long enough for a solid arrow to sink into his skull, finishing him off.

Atreus kept firing at the Forsworn with almost lightning speed until he heard one let out a blood drunk battle cry, making him look in the direction it came from to see a Forsworn charging at him with his crudely made axes raised until he was close enough to his intended target; when the Reachman brought his axes down, Atreus stepped out of the way, cracked the man across the face with his bow with enough force to make him stumble backwards before using the bow to hook his ankle then swipe his legs out from under him, knocking him on his back as he replaced his bow on his back then pulled Leviathan in its place.

While the man tried to get back to his feet, Atreus raised the axe and brought the ice coated blade down on his neck, cleanly severing his head from his body as he turned in Ysmir's direction just in time to see the Dragonborn bash a third Forsworn with his shield enough to bring him to his knees then plunge his sword deep into his chest before pulling it out then turning his attention to the Forsworn leader and the Flame Atronach accompanying him.

Ysmir reared his head back with a deep breath like he was preparing to shout as his focus remained locked on the Forsworn leader and his summoned Flame Atronach. "FO KRAH DIIN!" He shouts as he exhales a torrent of frost that snuffed out the Flame Atronach and caused it to vanish in a fiery explosion that wounded it's summoner upon this defeat, causing the Reachman to fall to his knees when Ysmir's frost breath struck him.

As the brutish Reachman started getting back to his feet, Ysmir started marching to his opponent with his sword and shield raised so that he could prepare to engage him, bringing the blade down to strike when he was close enough before the Forsworn leader blocked it with his own weapon then used the momentum to get back to his feet and try to get a strike in on the Dragonborn until his own weapon clashed with his shield.

When the duel began, Atreus started making his way to Ysmir to try and help him take his opponent down before he noticed an ice spike gliding towards him out of the corner of his eye, which made him raise his shield long enough to make it shatter against the barrier; upon lowering it, he noticed the Hagraven rushing towards the skirmish, casting a fireball at the area to try and throw the men off-guard until he stepped out, raised his shield again to dissipate the projectile then lowering it again and throwing Leviathan at the decrepit creature.

The Hagraven used one of her clawed hands to knock the frost axe off of its path as Atreus charged, causing the creature to cast her magic at him again only for him to raise his shield again to block the projectiles then raising his right hand to call his axe back then bringing it down on the creature, making her shriek in pain when the weapon cleaved through her flesh; once she fell, Atreus pulled Leviathan from the Hagraven's corpse before turning his attention back to Ysmir and the Forsworn leader.

The Forsworn leader brought his sword down once again before it clashed with Ysmir's shield, causing the Dragonborn to use the shield to knock him to the side until he swung again, his blade clashing with Ysmir's, making him flick the blade to his right long enough to throw his opponent off balance and run it through him, causing the Reachman to start coughing up blood as the sword was ripped from his abdomen, causing his body to plummet to the ground.

After the Forsworn leader fell, Ysmir cleaned his blade and approached Atreus, who gave him an impressed and content nod before they turned their attention to the remaining Forsworn that awaited them on the other side of the bridge. "How do we want to deal with them...?" Atreus asked simply, making Ysmir study the Reachmen for a moment and noticing that two of the women seemed to have a distinct magical trace about them.

"Get their attention, we can at least send the two men running so we can focus on the mages..." Ysmir explained simply, making Atreus turn his attention to the group in front of them as he replaced his axe and pulled his bow again, notching an arrow then pulling it back and finding his mark. When he loosed the arrow, it glided through the air before biting into one of the Forsworn mage's abdomen, causing her to fall to her knees with a pained cry before the second mage prepared herself for combat while the two warriors pulled their weapons and charged the men.

When the Reachmen warriors charged, Ysmir inhaled and reared his head back as he prepared to shout. "ZUN HAAL VIIK!" His voice thundered through the air as the Thu'um struck the warriors and staggered them, even sending their weapons flying from their hands and into the river flowing under the bridge. As they got back to their feet, the Forsworn warriors looked to Atreus and Ysmir then down to where they had their weapons with a noticeable frustration at their sudden absence.

* * *

Despite still holding a raging desire to fight these trespassers on their land, the two Reachmen realized that they really didn't stand a chance against a man who could disarm them with nothing more than his voice or even get passed not only a Hagraven, but one of their Briarheart warriors, even if they still had their weapons.

With this reality sinking in, the warriors begrudgingly fell back and beckoned for their mages to follow them only for the two women to ignore them and focus their attention on Atreus and Ysmir as they made their way across the bridge, with the mage that Atreus shot having gotten back to her feet, removed his arrow and healed her wound before summoning a Frost Atronach that immediately came charging towards the men while both mages sent a consistent barrage of fire, frost and lightning spells in their direction.

Upon seeing the Frost Atronach charging them, Atreus drew his blades before charging to meet the walking chunk of ice in the middle as he swung them behind his back then brought them down under the construct's feet in a blast of fire, staggering it long enough for him to grip the chains controlling the weapons and swing them back up in a half circle to finish cutting it down. Once the Atronach was gone, Atreus looked to the mages to see one of them preparing to summon something else, which made him quickly switch out his blades for his bow and an arrow that he quickly notched and drew back while Ysmir circled around to flank them.

"Fálki lið!" He cried before loosing the arrow, which was laced with lightning from the previous incantation he uttered as it glided to it's mark, directly in between the Forsworn mages; once the arrow landed, it exploded with a burst of electricity that quickly manifested into a swarm of falcons that attacked then crashed into each mage with bursts of lightning, one for each bird.

As they writhed in pain from the merciless barrage of lightning that entangled them, Ysmir took this as an opportunity to march over and remove one's head before preparing to move onto the other, who looked like she was starting to recover a little as she tried to cast a firebolt at the Dragonborn only for him to step out of the way then run her through once she was back on her feet, killing her instantly.

Once the area was clear, Atreus caught up to Ysmir before both men started looking between the paths they had before them like they were trying to figure out which one was the best to take. "Well, at least we don't have to worry about leaving all the way from Markarth…" Atreus suggested, earning a light nod in agreement from Ysmir.

"Aye, true...now we just need to figure out where to look." He added, earning a brief nod from Atreus as he scanned the area in the hopes of finding some clue that would help provide them with their heading. Ysmir joined the man in his search before his gaze went to the path on the left, shortly followed by his companion's gaze. "We could try this way first...even if we don't find her down this path, it'll make it easier to expand the search from there." He suggested simply, making Atreus think on the idea for a moment before nodding again.

"Sounds like our best bet...let's move." Atreus said simply, walking forward as he replaced his bow on his back while Ysmir cleaned and sheathed his sword before catching up to him, both men kept their eyes open just in case there was another ambush or any wildlife waiting to take their chances against them.

After a few hours of searching, Atreus and Ysmir soon found Sorine standing on an island that was settled in the middle of a stream and bore signs of Dwemer civilization upon it grumbling to herself about some missing gyros. "She seems like an interesting one..." Atreus said simply, earning a light nod in agreement from Ysmir as the two men approached her.

"Excuse me, Sorine…?" Ysmir addressed the Breton woman, causing her to look to the men with noticeable confusion in her eyes, but she seemed to ignore the fact they may have been here on some important business in exchange for her search.

"You haven't seen a sack of Dwarven gyros laying around, have you? I swear I left it right here...do you think mudcrabs might've taken it? I saw one the other day, wouldn't be surprised if it followed me here..." Sorine rambled, mostly to herself as Atreus and Ysmir studied her curiously, almost caught off-guard by the woman's demeanor before she looked to them again and shook her head. "Just look around, will you?"

Once they had a moment to collect themselves, Atreus and Ysmir looked to the woman again before the Dragonborn spoke up. "Isran sent us to find you...he needs your help." He said, making Sorine look between them with her eyebrow raised curiously as she thought on the request with her confusion returning a little.

"Isran? Wants me?" She asked in a wary tone, making both men give her a nod before she shook her head lightly. "No, you must be mistaken...he made it exceedingly clear the last time we spoke that he had no interest in my help, I find it hard to believe he's changed his mind; he said some very hurtful things before I left." She explained, letting out a brief sigh at the end before shaking her head again. "Anyway, I'm quite happy in my current pursuits...so, if you'll excuse me..." She finished before returning to her search while Atreus stifled a brief chuckle.

"Yeah, that sounds like Isran alright...I guess the vampire crusade for Skyrim was enough to change his mind about old grudges." He suggested in a way that seemed as though it was deliberately meant to catch her attention, peaking Sorine's interest and making her turn her attention back to the men with an increased curiosity in her eyes.

"Vampires? Really?" She asked, taking a few moments to think on this revelation as she studied the men, cutting her eyes to them after a moment. "Oh, and I suppose _now _he remembers that I proposed no less than three different scenarios that involved vampires overrunning the population." She said matter of factually as the two men just watched and listened to her for a moment before she took a moment to collect herself. "Well, what are they up to?"

"Did any of the scenarios you presented involve them messing with an Elder Scroll?" Atreus asked in a noticeably blunt tone, causing her to begin speaking up until his words actually sunk in and made her realize the true reality of the situation.

* * *

"I...well, that's actually something I never would've anticipated, interesting...I'm not sure what they'd be doing with one, but in this case Isran is probably correct in thinking it isn't good." Sorine said before relenting and looking back to them. "All right, if nothing else, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to learn more about what's going on so I can better defend myself; but, I'm not just going to abandon what I've been working on here, it's too useful. So, I either need to find the satchel those mudcrabs stole or I need another gyro from someplace...you wouldn't happen to have one, would you?" She explained, almost making Atreus let out a quiet, but frustrated sigh before Ysmir went digging around in his pack, pulling out one of the gyros Sorine was obsessing over.

"Here, take this one...if it'll help with what you're working on and get us moving, then you can have it" Ysmir said simply, making Sorine's eyes light up before accepting the gyro and giving the men a content and grateful nod.

"Thank you! It's not much, but this will help a great deal with some of the things I've been researching...now, where does Isran expect me to go?" Sorine said with a genuine curiosity in her tone when she inquired about Isran's intended meeting point, drawing Ysmir's gaze to her for a moment.

"We're meeting at Fort Dawnguard" He answered, making Sorine raise her eyebrow a bit before giving a brief nod in understanding. "Ah. Been working more on his secret hideout, has he? It'll be interesting to see how much progress he's made...I'll finish up here then head in that direction as soon as I can; see you there." She said simply before turning to collect her things while Ysmir and Atreus gave her a nod.

"See you there..." Ysmir said simply as the men turned on their heel and prepared to make the long journey back to Fort Dawnguard, their minds racing with what exactly they would end up facing when it came time to confront Harkon and secure the Elder Scroll, even considering whether or not Serana would still join her father's forces despite the obvious tensions between them...

* * *

**Good fucking grief, this took WAY longer than I meant for it to. (As you all know by now.) Anyway, sorry for taking over a freaking year on this, had some real life things get in the way, throw my scheduling off and keep me from making any real progress on it until now.**

**But, now on the bright side, I think I've got my shit figured out to where I can at least make actual progress, so I will be posting updates again; they may not be at my original consistency and can't really promise they'll be all that fast, but they will be coming.**

**Hope this chapter lives up to y'all's expectations after the stupidly long wait and I'll see y'all in the next one...**


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